Otherworld
by fan.writer.in.disguise
Summary: While Kagome never had exactly a 'normal' life, she was very confident her life could not get any stranger than it was. Time traveling, yokai, and the Shikon Jewel? She could handle anything life threw at her. Or so she thought before she traveled to another world, met a Goddess, and started falling in love with the SOLDIER known as Sephiroth, and tried to stop her soul from dying
1. Prelude

**A/n:** A few facts before we get to the good stuff. This story, if anyone is wondering, is pretty much pure crack. It is Au in both universes, and it only becomes more apparent as the story progresses. Another thing is: I haven't seen an Inuyasha episode in about two years, but I do read Inuyasha fanfics to refresh my memory. I'm going to use this as an excuse if there is a blatant error in that part of the story, but please still point them out so I may fix them. Also, this is the 2nd version of this story, condensing what used to be seven chapters into, and somehow adding more stuff than I took out. So if this isn't your first time since 10/20/09, take time to go through the chapters again please.

Other fun stuf: Pairings! Sephiroth/Kagome mainly, Kikyo/Inuyasha, Sango/Miroku, Aerith/Zack, as well as hints of past Inu/Kag and Kag/Hojo. So, almost cannon!

Also very slight hints of Kunsel/Oc, but mentioned only a few times. Anyways, on with the story! Welcome to **A Whole New World**~!

(Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the Final Fantasy VII Compilation or the Inuyasha Series.)

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**~(Prelude)~**

**-----------------**

Kagome hefted the battered large yellow backpack over the rim of the Bone Eater's Well, letting it fall to the bottom with a loud 'thump'. After five years of use, the backpack was faded and on the verge of falling apart despite the numerous patches and her best attempts at fixing the tears. However, she still used it every time she went to visit her friends in the Feudal Era, and would continue to use it until she found an acceptable replacement.

Five years to the day, Kagome could hardly believe it. It seemed like her first trip had been a lifetime ago, yet at the same time it felt like only yesterday that she was pulled into the Well by the centipede Yokai. At times, she still felt like the 9th grader she had been, but she wasn't. She was now a 20-year-old woman in her second year of medical school. Her weeks of roaming the Feudal era were now weekend trips to see her friends.

But, today might be the end of her trips. On the other side of the well, Kouga and Kohaku were waiting for her along with the others, ready to give up their shards of the Shikon Jewel. Kouga finally decided he didn't need his super speed to lead his tribe, and Kohaku… they weren't sure what would happen to the young boy when the shard was removed from his back, but he admitted it was tiring him to be kept alive by the jewel shard, constantly worrying if the jewel would become tainted somehow. With their shards, the Shikon jewel would be complete and then… she didn't know. She had tried hard not to think about it, what would be would be, but it made her pause as she sat on the Well's rim. Would this be it? When the jewel disappeared after making her wish, would she ever be able to go back and see her friends?

She wanted to see Sango's unborn child. She wanted to see what would develop between Inuyasha and Kikyo now that Naraku was gone and Inuyasha finally understood that she and the undead miko were two separate women. Kagome no longer had a crush on Inuyasha. She was a modern girl, and Inuyasha would never like to live in the modern era, and she couldn't live in the past. She needed to escape to the mall with her other friends; she wanted hot, indoor showers, TV, radio, fast food, _ice cream._ Besides, she had studied so hard to make up for the broken education during high school, and she succeeded! In about four, five more years, she was going to be a doctor! She wasn't giving all that up, not for anyone no matter how much she might have loved Inuyasha.

Besides, Kikyo was much better suited for him than she was. Kikyo was calm, level headed, and didn't get into heated arguments with Inuyasha over every little thing. And, even if Kagome did love Inuyasha, she knew that even if Inuyasha loved her back, he would always carry a torch for Kikyo. Who was she to stand in between the two?

"_Argh! Enough dillydallying, Kagome!" _she berated herself as she swung her other leg over the rim of the Well. _"It's time to go, there's no point in delaying the inevitable!"_ With a slight push, she fell into the Well, and onto her last adventure…

Or maybe not. As soon as she started to fall, she could tell something was off. Her 'miko senses' as she called them, told her something was different. Something was wrong. The purplish light was a light sea green color, and the 'tug' that pulled at her was stronger, almost painful.

Her feeling was proven right as she fell to the ground, her lungs burning as soon as she took her first breath. She coughed as smoke wrapped around her, and pulled up her t-shirt to cover her mouth before looking around. Where was she? Where was the well? All she could see was dark smoke lit by a full moon that appeared and disappeared as the smoke moved.

"I saw something over here!"

To her surprise, she heard someone shouting in English, which was extremely rare in the Feudal Era. But still, she needed to get out of this smoke before it did damage to her throat and lungs. Not caring who was shouting, Kagome uncovered her mouth for a moment as she stood up before shouting back.

"Help! Over here!"

"Are you with Lord Godo?" It was definitely a man who was yelling, in perfect English as well. Who was Lord Godo? Should she be sided with him?

Hoping that telling the truth wouldn't get in her trouble, she answered "No!" She grew worried when she saw multiple red lights in the smoke, all of them in groups of threes. Were they Yokai? Was she in the past after all? She bent down and grabbed her bow out of her backpack just in case, and was ready to summon her sacred arrows when the lights came closer, revealing they were not eyes but a part of strange looking helmets.

The men wearing the helmets, however, were wielding guns that were certainly not common in the Warring States Period of Japan. "Put down the bow!" The leader commanded, and she hastily obliged when she heard clicks of the guns being primed. For an added measure, she raised her hands, trying to show she wasn't a threat despite every breath was threatening to choke her.

"Help me, please!" she asked before she began to cough, no longer able to control the reflex. She automatically went to cover her mouth; however, the soldiers must not have seen her as a threat since one of them came over to help support her as she doubled over, gasping for breath.

"Let's take her to General Sephiroth," she heard the leader say quietly to his men as she was picked up and carried by the soldier that had come to her aid. The name was unfamiliar to her, but at the moment, she could only focus on trying to breath.


	2. Chapter One

**-----------------**

**~(Chapter One)~**

**-----------------**

The soldiers were silent as they marched through the smoky forest, Kagome walking between two of them, a light green cloth wrapped around the lower part of her face. One of the soldiers had given it to her, and the soft cloth made breathing a whole lot easier, enough so she could walk on her own rather than being carried. The smoke started to lessen, enough so she could notice the green cloth was a part of their otherwise blue and silver uniform on the soldiers. Except for the leader, who instead of a green cloth, had a dark red cloth wrapped around his face.

Eventually, the smoke completely disappeared, revealing firelight in the distance. For a moment, she feared it was the cause of the heavy smoke, but as they marched closer, it turned out to be a simple, if large, campfire surrounded by a handful of tents.

Guarding the camp were two soldiers, dressed in the same fashion, who saluted as the five came closer to the camp. "Sir!"

"McCrea, Sheppard, relieve Haran and Karl of their watch." The leader commanded, and two of the three soldiers left her side as the two sentries gratefully relaxed before taking their place guarding Kagome. She wished that McCrea and Sheppard were still guarding her, the two new soldiers stared at her, making her feel uncomfortable as they entered the camp. Thankfully, as soon as they entered the camp, the two left her side and went to join a group of other soldiers gathered in front of a tent, five of which wore much different uniforms than the others. Instead of a dark blue outfit, they either wore light blue or maroon outfits, and their helmets were fashioned more like the European knights.

With the two gone, Kagome wasn't sure what to do until the leader called back to her. "Follow me." Quickly she followed the man with the red cloth, trying to ignore the stares she was drawing from the soldiers.

Her hopes suddenly rose when she saw a familiar sight of silver hair reflecting the campfire, but they were completely squashed a few moments later as she walked closer to the man. He wasn't Inuyasha, that was for sure. The only resemblance the two shared was the silver hair, and even that was a tad different. There was no red fire rat robe, but a black trench coat with silver shoulder guards, and no cute dog-ears either.

"General Sephiroth, sir!" The man who had been leading her saluted, drawing the silver haired man's attention. He glanced back at the two of them before turning back to the soldiers surrounding him.

"Dismissed," he said quietly before turning back to Kagome and the soldier. "You captured a Wutai civilian?"

The leader pulled Kagome's yellow bag of his shoulder and dumped its contents onto the ground. Most of it was instant ramen, but her bow peeked out underneath the white Styrofoam cups. She saw a slight hint of curiosity on Sephiroth's face as he picked it up. "Where are the arrows?"

The soldier was flustered, "Well, um… She didn't have any, sir."

"Hmph." He tossed the bow back down to the pile of ramen, making Kagome wince. That was her favorite bow! "I'll contact the SOLDIER Director and consult him what will be done to her. Until then, have your men guard her, captain."

"Yes sir."

"Wait," Kagome interrupted as the captain saluted one last time, surprising both men. "Am I a prisoner?" Sure, she had been captured a few times, but usually she had done _something_ to deserve it! All she had done was call out for help!

"This is war," Sephiroth answered her, "You're people have made it clear that all of you are to be considered hostile."

"My people?!" she protested loudly, "I have no clue what's going on, or where I am! I'm Japanese, not Wutai or whatever you said!"

The two men were silent before the General shrugged his shoulder ever so slightly before turning away. "As I said, captain, she's yours to guard until I say otherwise."

"Yes sir!" Kagome frowned as Sephiroth just walked away. "Come on, girl." The captain turned back to her, grabbing her arm a bit roughly.

She pulled her arm away before placing both hands on her hips. "My name is Kagome! Not girl, or wench, or anything else!" Goodness knows how long it took her to beat that into Inuyasha's head, and he still slipped up sometimes. She could hardly take it from one of her best friends, she wasn't going to take it from this guy!

"Right now, it's prisoner," he barked as he forced her around and pushed her towards the group of soldiers, all who were looking their way.

She roughly shrugged his hands of her shoulders, and planted her feet in the ground. She quickly turned around and asked, "Why am I a prisoner? I get you're in a war, but why me? I was just lost!"

"You're Wutainese. And don't say you aren't," he snapped when she opened her mouth. "You may be dressed like someone from Midgar, but you look, talk, and even have a Wutainese name."

"I'm Japanese!" she protested, making the captain snort.

"There's no such thing as Jap-pen-ese," he sneered before motioning to someone behind her. "You, come take this girl away."

Kagome opened her mouth to yell a bit more, but a tight hand on her shoulder made her pause. She looked up to see one of the different uniformed soldiers, one wearing a maroon colored uniform and knight's helmet. "You hungry?" He asked, quickly diffusing the situation.

"What?" She asked, confused enough to allow the soldier to turn her around guide her back to the group of soldiers, who quickly made room for her to sit down. One minute she was arguing with the Captain, dreading in the back of her mind that these people were going to be rude and abusive, the next being asked kindly if she was hungry.

"I'm afraid all we have is MREs, unless you like fried Razor Weeds or Bizarre Bugs," the soldier said almost conversationally before adding in a low whisper, "Don't mind the captain, he's edgy tonight."

"Wait, so you believe me?" She was astounded, but hopeful. Maybe the captain was wrong. There was a Japan, wherever, whenever, she was. And if there was, that made her chances of getting home improve greatly.

"Well, either you're a crappy Wutainese spy, or you're nuts." Her hope was dashed at his reply. "Either way, we were taught to treat women respect even when they're the enemy."

"Gee, thanks," she groaned. She didn't know which one was better, insane or being a spy with an outrageous story. No matter what they thought, the fact that they did not know about Japan severely lowered her hopes of finding a way home…

Not that she would ever give up. She had pulled off impossible stunts before!

**( )**

"Get your acts together and move out!" Kagome looked up from the horrible tasting sausage and sauerkraut MRE to see everyone else standing up and grabbing their weapons. Except Kunsel, the soldier that had taken her away from the captain, who just continued to mess with his cell phone.

"What's going on?"

"The last mission for this tour," Kunsel answered without looking up, "They, along with other teams positioned around Wutai are going to attack the capital city and fight the 'five gods' of Wutai."

Kagome frowned as she looked back to the soldiers. The ones dressed like Kunsel had their swords somehow stuck to their backs, while the others had their guns ready and waiting in their arms. "What five gods?" She looked back over to him, and found him looking at her. She couldn't see his eyes, but she guessed he was giving her a weird look.

"The five gods of the pagoda. Gorky, Shake, Chekov, Staniv, and Lord Godo," he said, turning completely towards her. "You seriously never heard of them before?"

"I told you, I'm from Japan, not Wutai," she said, silently wondering how many times she had said that or something similar in the last hour. At least a dozen times.

"I guess you are insane then." He turned back to his cell phone, "No Wutainese, spy or not, would feign ignorance about those five."

"I'm not nuts," she grumbled, but knew it was useless. She could argue and yell until she was blue in the face, and they probably still wouldn't believe her.

**( )**

"How long is this mission supposed to take?" Kagome asked as she stood up, stretching. She wasn't used to sitting still for very long anymore, and it felt like she had been sitting for hours now. The camp was all but desolate, only a few soldiers remained, most of them taking patrols around the camp. In fact, only Kunsel, a nameless soldier with a green cloth, and herself were actually inside the ring of tents.

"Missions have no set time," the nameless soldier answered her, shifting her grip on her gun as she too stood up. Kagome wasn't surprised. While Kunsel allowed her to walk around without following her every move, this other soldier was constantly within five feet of Kagome. "But this one might stretch out until dawn."

"I doubt Sephiroth will let go that far," Kunsel replied distractedly, still more focused on his cell phone. Many times since everyone left, Kagome had tried to see what he was doing, but he seemed to have a sixth sense about when people were trying to look over his shoulder.

"Humph. You SOLDIERs are so proud of your hero, aren't you." The woman solider sneered, making Kunsel look up.

"And you infantrymen are jealous that we have more fame and funding." There was a slight smirk as the infantrywoman waved her nightstick threateningly at him.

"_Okay…" _Kagome thought bemusedly as the two continued to argue. She wondered if she could just sneak out of the camp without them noticing. It was obvious that these people probably couldn't help her. Maybe she could go back to where she appeared, and there would be a way for her to get home. It could have been like the Bone Eater's Well, except for jumping down all she had was step in a certain spot and she would be home. _"Except, I can't remember how far it is!" _There had been so much smoke, and for the first part of the trip she had weaved in and out of consciousness before the cloth had been handed to her. She severely doubted she could find her way back.

"It's Shinra!" Kagome snapped out of her thoughts when she heard someone yell with a Japanese accent. Her hope however, was broken again as troops in uniforms slightly reminiscent of samurai armor ran into the small camp.

"Tch," Kunsel growled as he closed his phone and picked up a sword. "Guard the prisoner."

"Yes sir!" The infantrywoman said as if they hadn't been arguing a second ago. She got in front of Kagome, raising her machine gun towards the invading troops. "If you try to run, I will shoot you," she whispered to Kagome, shocking her before she had to cover her ears as the Infantrywoman began shooting. Each blast was deafening, and was loud enough she could feel it in her bones.

A few seconds later, Kagome instinctively opened her eyes as she felt… something. It was sort of like detecting someone using spiritual power, but different. She saw one of the samurai bring up his hand before three fireballs shot out towards her and the Infantrywoman.

"Move!" She pushed the Infantrywoman down and collapsed to the ground with her, letting the fireballs pass harmlessly overhead before disappearing into thin air.

"I hate when they use Materia," the Infantrywoman grumbled before jumping back to her feet and continued to shoot. Kagome, however, noticed her bow still sitting in the pile or Ramen cups by the fire. She looked from it to the infantrywoman, who was too busy shooting to notice her. Making up her mind, Kagome jumped to her feet and rushed towards the fire.

"I told you to guard her!" She heard Kunsel yell behind her.

"Crap!" Kagome ignored them as one of the samurai ran in front of her. She paused as the guy looked at her, before flipping over his spear, showing that the staff of his weapon was hollow.

"Traitor!" The man shouted, aiming the spear as if it was a gun. Kagome thought quickly before dashing to the side as the spear fired, proving the bottom end was some sort of gun. She dashed past him, avoiding the spear tip as he slashed at her, before grabbing her bow off the ground.

"I don't know who you are…" Kagome started as she stood back up and aimed her weapon at the samurai, "but trying to kill me was the wrong thing to do!"

"You have no arrow!" The samurai sneered, "What can you possibly…" He grew silent as Kagome focused her miko energy into a glowing pink arrow.

"Leave us alone, and I won't fire," she said, offering an escape. She had little qualms about firing her arrows at Yokai, or at people who tried to hurt her or her friends. However, truthfully, she didn't know who the good guys or the bad guys were in this strange place she found herself in. She didn't want to accidently shoot the people that she might need help from later on.

The warrior paused for a moment before turning his weapon back around. Kagome thought that maybe he was going to heed her threat when suddenly he lunged, his blade posed to strike her. Kagome let her spiritual arrow fly. It ripped through the first warrior, vaporizing him like a yokai before flying towards the group the woman and Kunsel were fighting.

"What the hell?!" The woman yelled as she jumped back when the three in front of her disappeared instantly. Kunsel only paused for a second as the pink-colored bow flew past him before taking advantage of the stunned troops and continued to fight. It was less than five minutes later, after some more arrows and grenades from the woman to aid Kunsel in his fight, that the last samurai fell.

"Is that all of them?" Kagome asked, looking around.

"Yes." Kagome tightened her grip on her bow at the unfamiliar voice, but relaxed when she saw the Sephiroth, with more maroon colored uniformed soldiers behind him.

"General Sephiroth, sir!" both Kunsel and the woman saluted. However, the silvered haired man ignored them as he walked towards Kagome. She grew nervous as he stared at her, then at the wooden bow she had gripped in her hand. It was normal to feel nervous being stared at, but something about him made her even more on edge.

"You'll return with me to Midgar in the morning," he finally said as he looked back up at her, revealing glowing greenish blue eyes. What stunned her, though, were his cat-like pupils. "President Shinra will want to have a word with you about joining our side."

"Someon_e_ impressed him." She looked over to Kunsel, who had come up beside her once Sephiroth brushed past her. "What kind of Materia do you have equipped in order to do that?"

"Materia? What's that?"

She frowned as he shook his head, chuckling before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Definitely not a spy, are you."

"_I told you_," She stressed before wondering aloud, "Who were those guys anyways?"

"Wutainese soldiers, probably sent to attack our camp while we invaded their city." Kunsel looked back to the other soldiers that were coming out of the forest, looking tired but in good spirits. "Seems like we won yet another battle."

Curiosity got the better of Kagome as she looked over to him, "How long has this war gone on?"

Kunsel gave a snort, "Almost six years, and there's still no end in sight."


	3. Chapter Two

**-----------------**

**~(Chapter Two)~**

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"Wow…" Kagome whispered, as she looked out the window of the large military-like helicopter and saw a city almost twice the size of Tokyo spread out below her, all of it surrounded by a large metal wall with 8 smoking reactors that also divided the city into 8 sectors. In the middle was a large building that stood high above the rest of the city.

"Midgar." She looked away from the window and over to Sephiroth, who was sitting across from her, his arms folded across his chest. She felt a bit nervous when she met his unblinking stare, but refused to look away because of it. "You still can't remember anything?"

Kagome sighed, "Nothing." She had temporarily given up trying to convince Sephiroth she wasn't from Wutai. While he didn't think she was a spy, thanks to Kunsel who argued on her behalf, he was now convinced she was a Wutainese civilian with amnesia. How that explained her defense of coming from Japan, she wasn't sure.

"Hmph." She looked away from him and back to the city when she felt the helicopter start its descent. Her first ride in a helicopter, and it was in a different world, or maybe far into the future. Who knew? "…Unless you want a trip to the Science Department, I suggest you don't tell anyone about 'being from another world'." Kagome looked over to him, confused. Science department? However, Sephiroth was no longer looking at her, but out the window. "Nor do I recommend saying anything about using Magic without Materia. Hojo might convince President Shinra that you're a descendent of the Ancients."

The name Hojo made Kagome frown. Could there be a connection between her Hojo and this one? "Who's Hojo?" She asked as she leaned forward, "What's he like?" She flinched slightly as Sephiroth's head snapped around to glare at her for a moment before his glare softened a little.

"One of the Planet's worse creations," he eventually answered darkly, a disgusted look on his face, making her wonder if the look on his face was because of her, or talking about Hojo. "Gaia knows why President Shinra put him in charge of the Science Department after..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead he fell quiet. Kagome was tempted to ask what he meant, but the helicopter touched down in the giant building in the middle of Midgar. "Come," he commanded, once more quiet as he opened the sliding helicopter door. Kagome followed him off the helicopter, and was surprised to see a tall thin blonde man with glasses dressed in a dark blue coat and white pants waiting by the door that led into the building. After seeing so many soldiers, she was surprised to see a businessman.

"Director Lazard," Sephiroth acknowledged, "What are you doing up here?"

"I wanted to meet the young woman before our meeting with President Shinra," Lazard answered with a small smile before looking to Kagome. "I'm Lazard Deusericus, Director of Soldier. And you are…?"

"Higurashi, Kagome," she said automatically, accepting his out stretched hand. Lazard's grip was tight as he shook her hand politely.

"She has amnesia, sir," Sephiroth interrupted, "and she's very confused. I don't think it would be wise for her to meet with President Shinra until she's more… stable." Lazard looked mildly curious as he looked from the Soldier to her. Kagome gave an apologetic smile, deciding to go along with Sephiroth's lie. If he warned her about his own people, she figured she better follow his advice.

"Very well," he said after a moment of consideration as he looked back to Sephiroth. "I'm placing her under your care then. Make sure to keep her safe until Hojo comes back from Wutai." Sephiroth gave a small grimace before nodding.

"Yes sir," he answered quietly before Lazard gave Kagome a welcoming smile.

"I will see you later Miss Higurashi," he said before he turned and left the helicopter-landing pad. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Sephiroth sighed with annoyance. He was a 1st Class SOLDIER, and 1st Class SOLDIERs did not babysit insane women, even if they were strangely powerful. If he hadn't seen the battle himself, he wouldn't believe a girl such as she could have used such power. Then again, for magic users, appearances were deceiving.

Still, he wasn't suited for this. If anyone was, it was Angeal, and he was in Wutai with Genesis and Hojo. But maybe… Maybe he could 'delegate' Kagome to Angeal's puppy.

"Follow me," Sephiroth said after a moment before leading her into the Shinra Building. Kagome kept quiet, knowing from his rigid body language right now probably wasn't the best time to ask any questions. The inside of the building certainly kept to the industrialized look outside, with metal and cement covering the floor and the walls. The only 'decoration' on the wall was "Lvl 71" painted on the walls next to the elevator in big black letters. Kagome frowned, she was sure that the building seemed more than only 71 floors. After all, it had looked at least as tall as Tokyo Tower, if not higher by several hundreds of feet.

As she enter the glass elevators that a gave an extraordinary view of the unfamiliar metropolis, she decided she was right. The building was _too_ tall just to be 71 floors. "How many floors are there?" She asked Sephiroth as the elevator began to descend after he pressed one of the buttons.

"71 officially," he answered after a moment of deliberation. "However, the Science department has some floors hidden to the public…" He grew quiet, his annoyed look growing more unsettled at the mention of the Science Department. Kagome stayed silent as she looked out the window, the more she heard about the Science department, the less she liked from the way Sephiroth reacted to it. Maybe it was just his personal opinion, but since he was a General of an army from what she understood, maybe there was a logical reason why.

**( )**

Genesis sighed as he walked up to the entrance of the man-made cave where his friend stood, looking out over the forest below them. "I still don't see why we were assigned to this mission," he grumbled as he leaned against the rock wall. "I'm starting to see why Sephiroth hates him so much."

"It's our job to do as we're told," Angeal mumbled quietly, but Genesis could see the doubt in his friend's face. They had know Shinra was up to some strange things, but Hojo was making those strange rumors seem relatively normal.

"We should have brought your 'puppy' along." Genesis smirked, "At least then we would have entertainment."

"Heh. That would be funny." Angeal chuckled, he could imagine Zack complaining about being on guard duty for a scientist, even if he got to finally go to Wutai. However, his smile lost to another frown. "Then again, he might end up on the wrong side of him." He motioned back towards the depths of the cave.

"All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow," Genesis cited off the top of his head as he looked back towards the rising sun. "You can't protect your puppy forever, he's a SOLDIER." Angeal frowned, knowing he was right. But Zack had grown on him, becoming like a son. He knew Zack was able to take care of himself in a fight… But Hojo…

**( )**

Zack Fair was bored. No, he was Bored. With a capital b. Actually, all of the word should be capitalized. BORED. Angeal was out on a high-class mission, meaning he couldn't tag along. For some reason, most of the other SOLDIERs were gone as well, leaving a few 3rd Class SOLDIERs who were trying to master using Materia in the VR training room. It was amusing for a few minutes to watch them before Zack got bored of that too. And since he was just a 2nd Class operative, Zack couldn't get in there and showed them how to really use Materia. Never mind that he barely ever used Materia, or that he could count how many times he had used Materia with one hand.

His attention was grabbed as he heard the elevators chime, and jumped off his seat at the small lounge area before running towards the elevators. He would do anything to get rid of this boredom! What he saw, however, shocked him. _"Wasn't Sephiroth supposed to be in Wutai?" _But the silver haired general was stepping off the elevator, followed by a pretty Wutainese woman a few years older than him. Zack was tempted to ask what she was doing there, to his knowledge no civilians were suppose to step foot on the SOLDIER floor. He was still tempted when he saw the irate look on Sephiroth's face. But he didn't have to say a word when Sephiroth's eyes caught his.

"Fair!" Sephiroth snapped, making Zack stand at attention, not wanting a repeat of last time. Angeal would be so mad if he got in trouble again. Desperately, he tried to think of anything he had done lately that would get in him in trouble, but surprisingly couldn't think of one. "Show Kagome around and answer any questions unless they're classified." Zack blinked as he relaxed, watching Sephiroth turn on his heel and walk back towards the elevators.

"Okay…?" Zack rubbed his head as the General left before looking to the woman, Kagome. Instantly he grinned and held out his hand. "Hiya," he said as she looked back to him, "I'm Zack, SOLDIER 2nd class."

Kagome looked at him for a moment before giving a smile and accepting his hand. "I'm Kagome, obviously."

**( )**

"Oh wow!" Kagome was astonished as the elevator opened up to what Zack called the Exhibition floor. She wasn't that into technology, but the trucks and motorcycle was a lot different than the ones she was familiar with, and so wasn't the model of a space rocket and… "What's that?"

Zack frowned slightly as Kagome came to a stop in front of the model for the Highwind. "It's an airship." He was a little worried, she had been asking questions that should have been common knowledge, even to the backwater people in Wutai. Like what Mako was, or what Shinra was after she accidently called it a country.

"_Wait," Kagome frowned as they rode the elevator down, "I thought you said that President Shinra controlled everywhere besides Wutai."_

_Zack nodded his head, "That's right."_

"_But they're a power company…?"_

_Zack ruffled his hair, "Well, they started out as a power company, but now they dabble in everything. Weapons, Sciences, Urban development, Space exploration…" Zack made a face. "It sounds neat, but never meet the Space Exploration coordinator, Palmer. Or Hojo, the head of the Science Department. He's freaky. Actually, all of the Executives are a bit on the strange side, except for Reeve, the head of Urban Development. He's a pretty cool dude, even if he has a strange cat that follows him everywhere."_

"I thought Airships were like blimps…" He heard Kagome mutter to herself.

"Blimps?" He frowned, "What are those?" Kagome looked at him before smiling slightly, which lead to quiet giggles. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" She laughed, "It's just now you know how I feel. All this stuff," She motioned to the room around her, "it's so different from home. It's like, a steam-punk world or something!"

"Steam punk?" Now he was really confused, but Kagome just dissolved into more laughs. "You make absolutely no sense, you know that, right?"

"I'm dreaming!" she said as she looked back up to him. "That's the only answer I have for this. I hit my head on the Well, or maybe I fell asleep during class." She shook her head. "Nah, the instructors would wake me up before I got this far. I definitely hit my head."

Zack could only watch, sure that this woman was insane. Why in the world had Sephiroth given him the mission of watching after her? He jumped a little as his phone beeped, echoing through the empty exhibit room.

_Kunsel: Hey, did you see the strange Wutainese woman yet?_

Zack shook his head, how in the world did Kunsel know all this stuff? He typed a quick message back:

_Zack: Seph makin me wtch her shes nuts! U in Wutai?_

_Kunsel: Dude, take time to spell things out, seriously. This is email, not text messaging. Anyways, yeah, I'm in Wutai. She may be a little strange, but she has incredible MP. She killed 10 Wutai troopers with one shot!_

_Zack: lol I thnk u nd btr resurces XP_

_Kunsel: I saw it myself. _

Zack looked up, seeing the woman in a new light as she looked over the world map with a troubled frown. She killed 10 people? So far, she seemed slightly on the shy side, and very polite, if completely insane.

_Zack: U jk_

_Kunsel: No Zack, I'm not. Take good care of her. Gtg, Lezi's back._

_Zack: dude, fratnizin still! Im tellin Angeal!_

There was no message back, making Zack shake his head silently in amusement before looking back at Kagome. She looked severely troubled as she studied the world map. "Something wrong?" He asked as he pocketed his phone and walked up beside her.

"I've battled millions of Yokai, defeated Naraku, and I'm the Shikon Jewel's guardian…" She rubbed the pink Materia on her necklace absentmindedly. "Yet, I have no clue what's happening. Or how to handle it."

**( )**

The map looked like nothing she was familiar with. Rocket Town? Banora? Nibelheim? Junon? None of towns were familiar at all, the continents weren't even in the same place. What really grabbed Kagome's attention was the northern most point. _"The Northern Crater."_ A huge crater that looked about the size of Japan took up most of the 'Northern continent'. Either she had been sent far into the future instead of the past, or she really was dreaming… _"Ow."_ She frowned after pinching her arm hard. Nope, she wasn't dreaming. How was she going to get back?

"Something wrong?" She turned to see Zack standing beside her. At least he seemed friendlier than Sephiroth, but she could tell by the way he looked at her he thought she was a bit strange.

"_Not that laughing for no reason helped."_ She was in shock, on the verge of hysterics. This was worse than when she first fell into the well. Okay, maybe not worse, but as worse as that insane first trip. _"Except there's no madam centipede after the Shikon Jewel."_ She rubbed the mystic gem on her necklace.

"I've battled millions of Yokai, defeated Naraku, and I'm the Shikon Jewel's guardian. Yet, I have no clue what's happening. Or how to handle it._"_ She answered Zack's question after a moment of silence. She had started this day, dreading her last trip into the past, but now she was thrown into the far future, with no way home. Why did the Well send her here?

"So all of this really is foreign to you.." Kagome nodded and looked over as he stepped up next to her. "Well, I guess I'll have to help you out." He gave her a boyish grin before turning back to the map. "Right now we're in Midgar, the biggest city on the Planet, aka, Gaia. It's also the only floating city…"

"Floating city?" She listened with rapt attention as he explained about how Midgar was set up into 8 plates, all held up by pillars. And, less enthusiastically explained about the slums underneath where monsters roamed freely.

"Not that they stop people from living!" he continued with a rueful smile, "Aerith lives in the Sector 5 slums, and like most people she's can handle her own. Granted, with Materia she can. Her attacks with her staff are pretty wimpy."

She nodded, paused, and asked another question. "What's Materia?" That's what Kunsel had asked about, and she had never got a definite answer on what Materia had to do with attacks. She wondered if she should regret her question when Zack paused, and a devious smile developed on his face.

**( )**

"Wow…" Kagome looked around, amazed by the transformation. Was this what she thought it was? What had been a simple steel room, about fifteen feet by fifteen feet, with glowing glass floor was now an exact replica of the city outside.

"Top of the like Shinra technology. A complete virtual reality." Zack grinned, looking around the virtual Midgar as well. Even though he used the VR room many times a week, it still amazed him.

"So, what does this have to do with Materia?" Kagome looked back to Zack. The technology was amazing, but this 'Materia' everyone kept talking about had captured her attention and curiosity completely.

Zack didn't seem to mind as he popped out a large green marble out of his armlet. "Cause it's a great place to teach." He held the marble out to her, "this is a basic thunder Materia you could get anywhere." He told her after she took the orb, and paused as she rolled it in-between her two fingers. He hoped that maybe the familiar sensation of the Materia's magic would jolt her memory, no pun intended.

The Materia, of course, did not make her remember anything, since there was nothing to remember, but it did feel familiar. _"It's like the Shikon Jewel."_ There was that underlying hint of power, except where the Jewel was just pure power, the Materia had an electrical 'feel' to it. "Where does Materia come from?" Zack's smile dimmed a little as he paused, obviously thinking about something when a high pitch cry cut through the otherwise silent street.

Old habits fell into place as three overly large worms crawled semi-quickly towards them, each of them easily as 2 feet thick. Kagome reached back to grab her bow, only to remember it wasn't there while Zack unlatched his sword from what must have been a magnetic clamp on the back of his uniform. However, he didn't run to attack, instead he let the sword rest on his hand. "Don't worry, these worms are easy." He said to Kagome, "That Materia has a high enough level to kill them with one strike."

Kagome frowned as she looked from the gem to Zack. "How do I use it?"

"Focus on that electric feeling and imagine it shooting out from your fingers. Using Materia is completely done with mental power." Her frowned deepened, but she did as he said. She closed her eyes and mentally reached for the electricity. It felt a bit wrong as the feeling welled up in her chest before shooting down her arm. She opened her eyes as she shot her arm out, large bolts of lightning jumping from her hand to the worms a yard away. The worms squealed as a spasm ran through their fatty bodies before they all curled up into a circle before disappearing. However, the lightning wasn't finished as it jumped from the spot where the worms had been and raced along the ground until it reached some buildings.

The whole city flickered with a green grid appearing over everything for a few seconds before returning to normal. "Well, that's new." Zack frowned as he scratched his head, "Hmm…" He blinked before grinning at Kagome. "You're a natural! Are you sure you're not a mage or something?"

"I'm a Miko... A priestess," she clarified at his confused look.

"Sounds like a Wutainese version of a mage to me." He grinned again before a loud roar echoed through the streets. Both of them grew pale as a large dark purple dragon smashed the side of the building as it walked towards them.


	4. Chapter Three

**-----------------**

**~(Chapter Three)~**

**-----------------**

Sephiroth set his phone down on his desk, once more asking himself why he was protecting this woman he barely knew. He had seen the arrow made from pure magic, as did half his battalion. By all rights, he should recommend her for the SOLDIER program, as he had initially thought. However, the more he thought about the idea, the worse it seemed. She was strong, despite what the news Shinra gave to the regular populace, the war was not going as well as planned, and they could use all the help they could get.

But Hojo would be curious about her. And when he was curious, President Shinra turned a blind eye and promising SOLDIER candidates simply disappeared off record. Growing up with Hojo, he had an inkling on what could happen, and didn't wish that fate on anyone but Hojo himself. Luckily, Hojo was in Wutai, conducting 'top secret' experiments. Unluckily, so were Genesis and Angeal. He was a SOLDIER, used to fighting and giving orders on the battlefield. Not protecting a girl for reasons he couldn't explain. He didn't know what to do, or who to trust besides his two old friends.

But it might be for nothing. Shinra wanted a meeting with Kagome, amnesia or not.

"General Sephiroth, sir?" Sephiroth looked up to see a 3rd Class SOLDIER standing uneasily at the doorway of his office, fidgeting as if he wished he could be anywhere but there.

However, Sephiroth was glad for the distraction. "What is it?"

"There's been an incident in the VR room…" Sephiroth understood why the SOLDIER was so nervous now, and gave a sigh.

"Fair?" He hazard a guess, regretting leaving him alone with Kagome even for a few hours. As soon as the SOLDIER nodded his head, Sephiroth was on his feet, walking out of his office in a storm of annoyance… and perhaps a small amount of worry and concern. For whom, he wasn't sure.

**( )**

"Look out!" Kagome wasn't sure if she or Zack yelled the warning, but she darted away just as the Dark Dragon slammed his large paw into the ground, creating a small earthquake to rumble through the city. Another thunderous roar echoed when the dragon realized it had missed its targets.

"What is a Dark Dragon doing here?" Zack asked, mostly to himself, "This was supposed to be a simple simulation!"

"Don't ask me!" She defended before changing the subject to something more important. "Does it have any weaknesses?"

Zack paused, trying to remember what he could about the rare beats. Only a handful of people had fought the dragon since their home was in the Crater, and no one dared to hike up unless it was absolutely necessary. "Um, Gravity spells!" He groaned as he hit his forehead. "And I left my Graviga back home! Oh, just when you need the useless thing!" Kagome frowned, but nodded her head. "But the technicians should end the simulation when they realize it's gone wrong."

"So, until then we just need to hid and defend ourselves." Zack nodded, and by the look on his face, she could tell that was going to be easier said than done. Her fears were confirmed as the dragon opened its mouth, and power seemed to gather between its jaws before shooting out towards them. Both of them scrambled, managing to get far enough away that the only thing to hit them was debris from the street.

**( )**

"Sir!" the first technician who saw Sephiroth enter the control room paused what he was doing and saluted. "Um, we're having a bit of technical difficulties, so…"

"I know," Sephiroth cut him off, "terminate the simulation."

"We can't. Whatever caused the glitch has ended the connection between out terminals and the program. The only way to end it safely is to defeat the boss."

Sephiroth frowned, "what program is running?"

The technician looked towards one of his friends, both pale white. "Um it started out as program VE-44…"

The General turned his full attention to the scientist. "Started out?"

"It switched during the glitch." Another man answered when the first technical couldn't answer. "The program is now EH-669. There's no way Fair and the young woman with him can defeat the Dark Dragon." All the technicians paused what they were doing. This had never happened before, they were at a lost as to what to do. They had tried everything they knew of, and all of it failed. If they didn't do something quick, both the SOLDIER and the civilian were going to die.

"Open the door," Sephiroth commanded. It took a moment for the technicians to realize he meant to go in to the already running simulation-turned deadly.

"Yes sir!" They burst into life once more, their fingers flying over the controls as they prepared the necessary guidelines of the program to allow a third person. It was against regulation, and normal procedure, but they had no choice. Thankfully, the computer responded correctly. "Ready." The door slid open, and without a word, Sephiroth quickly walked through the door.

The door led him out of a brick wall of one of the buildings. The moment he was through the doorway, the brick became solid once more. Not that Sephiroth paid attention. As soon as his boot touched the cobblestone street, he was in a flat out run towards the loud roar of the Dark Dragon. As soon as he cleared the corner that revealed the Fountain area of Sector 8, he saw the large black dragon native to the Northern crater. He saw fireballs crash into the dragon, three at a time, as Zack defended Kagome. At least, he thought he was defending her until she rushed out from behind him, and towards the dragon. No weapon or Materia visible. An emotion squeezed his heart as he quickened his pace after her, determined to save her from her own foolishness.

Kagome reached the Dark Dragon before Sephiroth could reach her, but before the beast could reach out and snag her, either with its paw or mouth, a brilliant pink light flashed from Kagome, making the dragon flinch backwards with a painful roar. Zack gave a whoop of joy just before Sephiroth passed him, his Masamune drawn and held high. "Woah!" He heard the black haired SOLDIER shout in surprise before Sephiroth took one last lunge, holding his sword out before him. He heard as gasp from Kagome as he passed over her, and plowed through the dragon. A few seconds later, he landed on the pavement in a crouch.

"Woohoo!" Zack shouted as the Dark Dragon flickered then disappeared with a green electronic ripple, and a few seconds later the city disappeared in the same way, leaving the steel and glass room. Also revealing, through the glass wall, a bunch of relieved technicians. Kagome smiled in relief, she was unused to channeling her Miko powers directly through her body. Although it made her attacks much more powerful, it also took a toll on her. She felt as if she had just ran a marathon. Or maybe two. She looked over to Sephiroth who calmly placed the extremely long sword back in its hilt with a quiet click.

"Thank you." Sephiroth turned around, a look of surprise flashing on his face for a brief moment as he faced the smiling woman. "I don't know if it could have killed us, but the dragon's attack sure felt real."

"It could have," Sephiroth told her before turning to Zack. "Fair."

Zack tensed as he heard the ice in Sephiroth's voice. Oh boy, he was in for it now. At least Sephiroth's lectures were short and to the point. "Yes sir?" He asked cautiously, not following protocol. By all rights, he should snap to attention, but man, did he hurt.

"I believe Director Lazard and President Shinra will want to have a word with you about sharing Shinra secrets." The 2nd class SOLDIER wilted a bit, dreading that meeting. "Kagome, please follow me." Sephiroth did bother to look back to see if she would follow him as he walked out of the room. Kagome paused for a moment, sharing a slight baffled look with Zack.

"Sorry I got you into trouble."

Zack shrugged. "He's always a little crabby, so don't worry about it." He gave her an encouraging smile as she hurried after Sephiroth, who was surprisingly waiting silently by the door, giving not an angry glare, but an almost curious look. Kagome knew that Sephiroth was his own person, but he sort of reminded her of… not Inuyasha, but strangely Sesshomaru. But, not as cold and severe, just slightly aloof.

"Zack's not going to get into too much trouble, will he?" She asked once she reached his side. At first, he didn't answer, but lead her back through the SOLDIER floor of the Shinra building.

"He'll be reprimanded, but since he shows promise, there will be no extreme consequences," he said as the elevator doors opened. "The president wants a word with you now that Fair's done giving you a tour."

"Oh," Kagome frowned. The President wanted to meet her? Zack had explained how powerful the Shinra Company was, so it felt more than a little unnerving to meet with him. "I should stick to the amnesia story, shouldn't I?"

"Unless you want to end up as a lab specimen, yes." Kagome's eyes opened wide as she looked over at him.

"Lab specimen?" An image of her stuck in a large jar filled with liquids to preserve her body popped into her mind, making her feel sick. "You're kidding, right?"

"Unfortunately, no." The sick feeling only intensified in Kagome's stomach as the elevator quickly climbed to the 70th floor.

Kagome hesitated as the elevator doors slid open once more, revealing carpeted lobby and two sweeping staircases leading upwards. However, when Sephiroth gave her a look, she quickly got off the elevator and followed him, once more ignoring the stares they seemed to attract from the men and women dressed in bland business suits.

The staircases led to the same large office with a panoramic view of the city below. While most of the Shinra building seemed to be industrial, with the bare minimum of decorations, this office was filled with rich décor. However, despite the extravagant look, or maybe because of it, Kagome felt even more out of place as she stood besides Sephiroth in front of the desk, waiting for a large man in a bright red suit to turn around and acknowledge their presence.

"Sir," Sephiroth said, growing weary of waiting for the President to finish looking at the city below. President Shinra turned around, plucking the unlit cigar out of his mouth before giving a politician's smile to Kagome.

"So this is the woman that everyone's been talking about." Kagome frowned as Shinra's eyes traveled almost greedily over her body, making her feel wrong. Everything about the fat blond man in front of her made her feel… disgusted, really. She was no stranger to lecherous men, she had traveled with Miroku for the better part of five years after all. But Miroku, even at his worst, never made her feel as creeped out as Shinra did. Needless to say, she was glad of Sephiroth beside her. Shinra wouldn't try anything with him here, right?

"With all respect, Mr. President," Sephiroth spoke, taking a step in front of Kagome. "Miss Higurashi is not fit to have a meeting with you."

Shinra waved Sephiroth to the side, who grudgingly stepped back beside Kagome. "Relax, Sephiroth. I won't keep Kagome very long." The president's eyes turned back to Kagome. "I've heard a lot about you from the 16th squad division Captain. He's reports that you claim to be from another world." Strangely, instead of disbelief in Shinra's expression, he looked expectant. That paired with the feeling she got from him, Kagome decided Sephiroth was right, she had better stick with the amnesia story.

"I'm sorry to cause such trouble, Mr. President," she answered him, giving a embarrassed smile. "I was so confused when your men found me in Wutai, I think the smoke made me hallucinate or something. I'm just a normal girl with amnesia!"

President Shinra frowned, rolling his cigar in his fingers. "Don't be shy about it, our head scientist has already made progress in contacting other worlds."

Kagome gave a slight glance to Sephiroth, who tense at Shinra's words, before looking back at him. "I'm sorry, but this is all just a big misunderstanding. I'm not from another world."

However, Shinra wasn't buying it. He looked between her and Sephiroth, his frown turning more severe. "General, have you been spreading rumors about Professor Hojo?"

"No sir," Sephiroth bit out, giving the president a glare as he lied smoothly. "I haven't mentioned him to Miss Higurashi at all."

Shinra kept his gaze of Sephiroth for a moment longer before giving Kagome an fake smile. "Well then, ignore anything you hear about Professor Hojo from Sephiroth, Kagome. The two have a very intense rivalry that's been going on since Sephiroth was a boy. I'm sure Hojo will happily give you a check up, to see if we can't recover your memory when he comes back."

Kagome forced her own smile as she gave the slightest of bows, "Thank you, sir."

His smile became a little less fake. "Well, I hate to break up our meeting, but I'm a very busy man. I'll see you around Kagome."

Without a word, Sephiroth turned and all but stormed out of the office, and Kagome didn't hesitate before following him. Sephiroth might be a little distant, but she preferred his company of Shinra's already. Once more, eyes followed them as they made their way back to the elevators, but this time she didn't seem to notice them as much, she was more intent on trying to keep up with the General in front of her. Thankfully, he waited for her before calling for the elevator, which immediately came.

Kagome frowned as the boarded the elevator, and noticed he pushed the button for the first floor. "Where are we going?"

At first, Sephiroth didn't answer her, but lean back into the wall, taking a few careful breaths. Kagome hesitated before touching his arm slightly, not surprised as he turned sharply to her. He didn't seem like a person who liked to be touched. "I'm going to do something that could get me in a lot of trouble."

Confused, Kagome frowned. "What?"

"I'm going to take you away from the Shinra building. I have an apartment in Sector 5, I don't use it much, but until I can talk to Genesis and Angeal, I want you to stay there."

Kagome felt her face heat up, quickly removing her hand from his arm. Except for a very awkward date with Hojo shortly after graduation, she had never been to another guy's apartment. She doubted Sephiroth was going to… She couldn't even finish that thought without feeling her blush increase. "I… I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"When I say I don't use it much, I mean I only keep some of stuff there." Kagome risked a look up at Sephiroth, who's otherwise paleish face was tinged with pink. "I sleep here at the SOLDIER barracks unless I'm on mandatory vacation."

"Oh," suddenly Kagome felt very foolish. "Sorry."

"Hmm, I was always cautioned that I can be a bit… dense, about some things."

**( )**

Halfway across the world in Wutai, Angeal frowned before suddenly sneezing. Genesis looked up from his book of Loveless Poems, a similar frown on his face. "Please don't tell you're coming down with a cold."

"I'm fine," Angeal defended. "SOLDIERs don't catch colds…" He paused as Genesis gave him a meaningful look. "Except for maybe Zack."

"He is the exception to every rule, it seems," Genesis replied before going back to reading. As much as he loved the ancient story, and the mystery of the Gift of the Goddess, he was beginning to tire of reading the story over and over again without any interruptions. Finally, he closed the book with a discontented sigh. "Will this mission ever end?"

Instead of giving his familiar, "it'll end when Hojo is finished," Angeal only sighed as he closed his eyes. He was tired of waiting as well. There had been no attacks, not even a hint of the natural monsters that roamed the Wutai countryside. He was beginning to think that this was pointless as well. "Hopefully," he finally answered his friend.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/n: Yes, I am not dead, nor is this story. I won't bore you with the problems I've been having, but they should be resolved now. **

**-----------------**

**~(Chapter Four)~**

**-----------------**

The real Migar was nothing like the desolate virtual program Kagome had been in with Zack. As soon as she stepped out of the Shinra building, Midgar became a lot like Tokyo, people everywhere. She had almost expected strange clothing, but everyone dressed in normal clothes, acting normally. If it wasn't for everyone talking English, or Midgarian, and the 'unique' smell in the air, it would be exactly like home.

"Kagome." Sephiroth placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. "Be careful not to get lost."

She nodded her head, but doubted that she would lose track of him in the crowd. He was easily taller than most of the people, besides his silver hair that stood out among everything else. Still, she kept pace with him, never straying to far from his side as he strode down the sidewalks. The crowd parted, some of the other pedestrians pausing to stare at the pair. It didn't seem to bother Sephiroth, but Kagome felt self conscious after noticing.

"Why are they staring at us?" She asked as they paused at a street corner.

"A chance to see a hero," his mocking tone surprised her enough to make her pause when Sephiroth crossed the street before running to catch up with him.

"You mean, you?"

"Hmph. Only because the press has made me to be the 'poster boy' of SOLDIER."

"You don't think you're a hero?" Kagome paused as Sephiroth came to a sudden stop and turned to face her. At first, she thought he was angry about something, but, there was barely any emotion on his face.

"There is no such thing as a hero." The statement seemed cold to Kagome for some reason. She wanted to argue that, yes, there were such things as heroes, but his pace suddenly became faster, making her have to jog to keep up with him.

**( )**

When Sephiroth had said only a few things were left at his apartment, he wasn't lying. The small apartment in Sector 5 looked as if no one lived there. That it was waiting for a new owner to come make a home out of the sparsely furniture space. There was nothing personal in the front room which functioned as a living room, just a table with a single chair next to the window, and a futon couch along one of the walls.

"There's some gil in the dresser in the bedroom. It should be enough for some food and a change of clothes." Sephiroth watched as Kagome nodded absently as she walked over to the futon couch. He took an unconscious step forward as she fell onto the well padded cushion.

"Ahh," the flash of worry disappeared from Sephiroth's face at her content sigh. Kagome hadn't noticed the expression, her eyes were closed as she relaxed. After two of the worse days in her life, she was glad that at least tonight she could sleep comfortably, and not on the ground, surrounded by people who thought she was either crazy or a spy.

"There's a bed in the bedroom…" Kagome quickly sat up, embarrassed at her little scene. As far as she could tell, Sephiroth didn't seem to care as he turned towards the hall that led further into the apartment. "There's a small kitchen as well, but I imagine most of the food would be spoiled by now."

"Is there a store near here?" She hadn't seen any, but her attention had been focused on keeping up with him.

"It would be better to shop at Sector 6, but if you cannot wait until tomorrow, there's a small convenience store a few blocks away."

"And how do I pay?"

"There's some gil in the top drawer of the dresser," Sephiroth repeated, trying not to sigh when he saw the confused look on her face.

"Gil?"

Sephiroth dug a hand into his pant's pocket, and pulled out a handful of coins. "Money." Kagome accepted the coins, glad that they appeared a lot like yen. "You do know what money is, right?

She looked up, prepared to tell him yes, she did know what money was. However, instead of the cold look she had become used to, there was a small smirk on his face. He was teasing her!

Trying not to smile, but failing, she teased back. "Money? What's that?"

The smirk grew slightly, but before he could say anything in return, there was a sharp beep. His usual frown reappeared as he pulled out his cell phone.

_New meeting in ten minutes in President Shinra's office. Attendance is mandatory._

Kagome frowned at the look on his face. "What is it?"

"A reminder why I hate being in Midgar." There seemed to be no end to meetings that required his presence. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Wait!" Kagome protested before quickly catching the key he tossed to her.

"Keep the door locked," was the last thing he said before leaving. With a pout, Kagome flopped back down on the couch.

Great, now she was stuck alone in an unfamiliar place, with no one to talk to. There wasn't even a TV she could watch to learn about this new place she was in!

Well… She turned her head to look at the dark hallway. She could explore her temporary home, and then see about getting a snack. Zack had kind enough to buy her an energy bar out of a vending machine, but that wouldn't keep her filled forever.

For a moment, she wondered what had happened to her bag full of ramen, and her bow, before realizing they had probably been confiscated.

Like Sephiroth had said, there was a small kitchen, with a stove, microwave, and a fridge. Out of curiosity, she opened the fridge, and immediately felt sick. A green mold had covered everything on the shelves, and produced a extremely foul smell. _"Note to self: don't buy anything refrigerated."_

Further exploration of the small kitchen turned up two sets of western silverware, along with a few cans of vegetables and even more cans of 'Banora White Apple Juice'. However, the apple on the can wasn't white, but a dark shade of purple. _"Weird."_

Further down the hallway was a simple bathroom. At first, Kagome was surprised at how many bottles of hair products she found sitting on the counter, until she remembered the long, fine, silver hair Sephiroth had. She couldn't help but smile a little at the idea. Inuyasha could hardly care less about his silver hair, while Sephiroth obviously took pride in his.

However, her smile disappeared when she looked in the mirror. She too prided her raven colored hair, which was now dull, matted, and with a few crushed up leaves and sticks in it. She wondered how rude it would be to use his hairbrush and take a shower. Hopefully, there would be enough money to buy a travel pack, otherwise she wouldn't have a choice.

The last room was the bedroom, easily the most decorated room in the apartment. A large bed with dark, plush sheets with a nightstand beside it. There was another table underneath the window with a lone chair, and a dresser across from the bed. There were a few things on the wall, which on closer inspection turned out to be military awards and honors, with just a few prints of unfamiliar landscapes.

What was the strangest, and by far the cutest in her opinion, was a child's drawing of a large yellow bird, which was framed and hung right above the dresser. Below it, standing on the dresser was two photograph of people. One had to be a professional picture, with three men standing in foreign military dress uniforms. One was obviously Sephiroth, his cold eyes glaring at whoever took the photograph. The two other men flanked him, one almost as tall as Sephiroth, with black hair and a more masculine frame than the other two. The other man was almost as androgynous as Sephiroth, but had short ginger hair and an almost devious smirk on his face.

The other picture was of three people standing in front of a snow covered house, a short man in a lab coat and large glasses, a friendly smile on his face. The woman next to him appeared to be his wife, since his arm was around her waist. She had bushy brown hair and startling green eyes that were almost identical to the small girl standing in front of her, waving her arm and grinning at the camera. Kagome glanced at the girl before looking up at the drawing above it, smiling. Was she Sephiroth's sister? But why did he look so different from the happy family?

Kagome was hesitant about opening the dresser drawers. She would never want someone going through her clothes! Then again, Sephiroth had more or less told her she could… She took a deep breath before opening the top drawer. To her relief, there were nothing but folded black sweaters surrounding a large brown pouch, full of gil coins.

**( )**

Elena looked up at the large apartment complex, watching her target through a window. "President Shinra was right, Sephiroth took her to his apartment."

"_And here I was thinking he didn't swing that way."_ Elena frowned, even though Reno couldn't see her. However, there was a yelp in her ear that made her smile slightly. _"Ah, come on Rude! You thought the same thing!"_

Silently, she wondered why she couldn't have switched places with her sister, and gone on a mission with Tseng. Sure, Reno and Rude were some of the best Turks to have your back, but Planet, they were annoying. Well, Reno was, Rude was mostly silent.

"_Is Sephiroth still there?" _Rude took command of the microphone, something she was grateful for.

"Yeah…" she started to say before the door opened, sending her hiding in the deeper shadows of the alleyway. "No, he just left." She tensed as the 1st Class SOLDIER paused and looked her way. However, he gave a slight shrug before heading towards Sector 0. "Guys," she whispered once she could no longer see the SOLDIER, "I really don't like this."

"_Toughen up," _Reno commanded. _"Do you think Revolver would chicken out of a simple mission like this?"_

"He's a SOLDIER!" Elena defended herself. "He could kill me with his pinky!"

"_Well, don't get caught then!"_ Reno half snapped. _"Just keep an eye on the girl."_

Elena continued to frown, but kept her binoculars trained on the 3rd floor apartment. Lights flickered on and off, making her wonder what the target was up to. After maybe half an hour, all the lights were turned off. It was only about 6 in the evening, she couldn't be sleeping, could she?

The answer was no. "Guys, she's leaving the apartment. I'm gonna follow her."

"_Don't be seen," _Rude advised.

"Yes sir."

**( )**

Kagome was nervous as she walked down the streets of Midgar, trying to memorize the path she was taking. Unlike the streets around the Shinra building, which had been filled with people, the sidewalks were devoid of life, leaving her to having to hope she was heading in the right direction.

However, with each step she took, something felt more off. She couldn't help but feeling like someone was watching her. But, whenever she took a look around, she couldn't see anyone.

"Quit being so paranoid," she muttered to herself after the tenth time of looking behind her. No one would follow her! She looked like a train wreck! Still, every few minutes, she would look around, wishing she had her bow with her, or someone with her.

After 20 minutes of walking, she was ready to turn back after seeing nothing but apartments and small boutique stores. Sephiroth had said it was only a few blocks away, so she must have went in the wrong direction.

**( )**

Elena jumped when her target suddenly turned around. There was no where to hide, and the Wutainese girl had already spotted her. However, instead of being scared or angry like most people who saw a Turk, the woman smiled.

"Excuse me!" her target hurried over to her. "Do you know any grocery stores around here?

"_Elena, you are so in trouble!" _Reno cackled over her earpiece. She pointedly ignored him as she returned the other woman's polite smile.

"Sure! I was just heading there myself!"

"_What are you doing?" _Rude barked, "_Get out Elena!"_

"It's this way." She could do this. Get info from her, and hopefully make a good impression. Then, maybe everyone wouldn't treat her like a newbie. "So, you must be new to Midgar, right?"

"Is it that obvious?" Kagome gave a slight laugh. "I've been here less than a day, and already I'm just, overwhelmed."

"Midgar is overwhelming, even when you've lived here your whole life." Elena led her down a side road, towards a small convenience shop Reno and Rude like to frequent when they were in Sector 5. "What brings you to Midgar?"

Kagome paused for a second, making Elena stop as well. Did she push to soon? "I guess I was dragged here."

Well, that was a strange way of putting it. "Dragged? Let me guess, a Neanderthal for a boyfriend?

Kagome laughed as they continued walking. "No, not at all! I'm tired of guys like that. No, this guy, he's just a friend. I guess he's just looking out for me."

"You're not sure?"

"I'm not sure about anything, really," she admitted quietly. "It feels like I've been thrust into a whole new world. Kind of like Alice in Wonderland."

"Alice in Wonderland?" Elena frowned while Kagome just shook her head. "Well, if you ever need some help, give me a call." She pulled out one of her blank cards that were made for undercover operations like this.

"Elena " Kagome read the card out loud before smiling up at her. "Thank you. My name is Kagome, by the way."

**( )**

Deep in the secret lab in Wutai, Hojo was growing giddy as he read the report from Midgar. This was too good to be true! But his calculations could not lie to him, and the report seemed to be in order. He had to see this for himself!

"Shut everything down!" He commanded his lab assistants suddenly, taking them by surprise. "We're leaving for Midgar today!"

"Yes sir!" The lab assistants quickly started the shut down procedure. None of them had the courage to protest his orders. Hojo was a brilliant scientist, they could only dream to understand the things he knew. However, his genius came with the steep price of his sanity. Or perhaps, it was his morals that paid the price.

**( )**

Zack paused on his way to the SOLDIER barracks, frowning when he saw Sephiroth standing at the window, lost in thought. His common sense told him to just leave him be, he had gotten in enough trouble today. However, he ignored his own advice. He was worried about Kagome, she hadn't seen her since Sephiroth came and took her away.

"Hey Seph!" He called out, purposely using the nickname he knew Sephiroth hated. Sephiroth turned from the window to glare at the 2nd Class SOLDIER.

"What, Fair?"

"Where's Kagome?" He didn't like the fact Sephiroth's glare turned into a simple frown as he turned back to the window. "Seph..."

"She's safe," he answered quietly before changing the subject. "Have you given a report about her yet?"

"Not yet, but I swear I'll get it to you tomorrow."

Zack expected him to get angry again. He was notorious for forgetting his reports until a month later. However, Sephiroth looked back at him with a slight smile. "Good. If Kagome said anything about a different world, do not put it in your report. She's a confused Wutainese woman with amnesia, understood?"

"Uh, okay?" Zack scratched his head, confused as Sephiroth walked towards the barracks for the 1st Class SOLDIERs. However, then he realized he was going to have to rewrite his whole report, again. "Oh, man!" He grumbled before heading to the barracks. He wasn't going to get to go to sleep for another 3 hours now!


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N: This is the revised version of chapter five, please reread it since some plot element have been changed. **

**(Old A/N:** **I realize that many of you are from the Inuyasha fandom, and might be wondering when more Inu characters will show up. They will, but during the second half of the story, which is a long ways from now.**

**And for those of the FFVII fandom, I promise I have a good explanation why Ifalna is alive, and why she and Aerith are in Midgar and know Seph.)**

**~(Chapter Five)~**

The key was in its place, tucked securely on the top of the doorframe. Dark blue eyes rolled in their sockets as the door swung open silently. Two figures made their way through the dimly lit apartment, where the only sound was the shower running. One figure stayed in the living room, while the other, more devious figure snuck back towards the bathroom as the shower turned off.

"You should really answer your phone," is what Genesis meant to say, but only got to 'your'. Instead of Sephiroth stepping out of the shower, there was a beautiful, naked, raven-haired woman.

"AHH!"

Genesis quickly closed the door as the woman screeched and Angeal came running. "Did Sephiroth move?" Genesis asked him, but before the other SOLDIER could answer, the bathroom door opened and the woman stepped out, a towel wrapped around her.

"Who are you?" She asked, or rather demanded. It was obvious to her that the red haired man seemed a tad disappointed.

"You don't recognize me?" The woman shook her head to his question. "1st Class SOLDIER? Loveless?" His hope, and ego, rose as there was a glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

"You guys are in that photo!"

"Photo?" Genesis shrugged at Angeal's question while the woman disappeared into the bedroom for a moment before returning with a framed picture. The SOLDIERs easily recognized the publicity photo since they had the same picture back in their own apartments.

"You're friends with Sephiroth, right?"

( )

Sephiroth had a bad feeling as he ran towards his apartment. Both Genesis and Angeal had returned in the night, yet neither of them were in the Shinra Building. Knowing Genesis, Kagome was in for a rude wakening.

The hall of the apartment building was peaceful, save the loud music from 8b, but that was normal. When he reached his own apartment, his worry grew as he searched the top of the frame for the extra key only to find it missing. The door was locked, so he was forced to knock on the door, hoping it was only Kagome there, and that he had misplaced the extra key and forgotten about it.

The hope was quickly dashed when Genesis answered, a smirk on his face. "I approve of your new girlfriend, quirky, but very lovely."

"Genesis!"

"For the last time, I'm not his girlfriend!"

Sephiroth sighed as shouts came from inside before he pushed past Genesis and stormed into the living room. Kagome sat in the lone chair by the table, a bright red blush on her face, while Angeal was rubbing the bridge of his nose, exasperated as usual.

"As I told Kagome," Genesis continued from behind him, "you should really answer your phone."

"My phone had an accident." To prove his point, he grabbed the remains of the crushed cell from his coat pocket and threw it on the coffee table.

"That's the 10th one this year!" Angeal scolded him, "You are a General, Sephiroth. You have to set an example for the subordinates. That means not having fits of rage and destroying your phone when the President, Scarlet, Hojo, or anyone else calls."

"I'll quit when they get my point," Sephiroth grumbled, not in the mood for Angeal's lectures. Not that he ever was in a mood for one. "What are you two doing here?"

"We have some down time," Genesis answered, still smirking. "We heard rumors about your new girlfriend," he gave a smile to Kagome who frowned at him, "and wanted to see if it was true."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Kagome repeated herself, for what was at least the tenth time that morning.

"There's your answer," Sephiroth looked back at Genesis. "And for the hundredth time, don't use the extra key." He held out his hand, which Genesis placed the key in with a sigh.

"If I didn't, you'd never let us in."

"I'd let Angeal in," Sephiroth smirked at Genesis's scowl.

"Are they always like this?" Kagome half-whispered to Angeal as the two SOLDIERs silently stared at one another.

"No, usually they're worse." He gave her a slight smile, which she returned. After she realized they were Sephiroth's 'friends', the panic of getting caught naked in a strange place by strange men eased a little. Of course, getting into some clothes did better to help.

She did like the two. Genesis, even though he kept saying she was Sephiroth's girlfriend, she could tell it was just to tease Sephiroth, and probably to irate Angeal. She could already tell he was someone proud with his status. Being disappointed that she didn't recognize him was strong proof of that. Angeal seemed much more reserved than him, but also more suspicious of her story of being an amnesiac that Sephiroth took pity on.

"Sephiroth," Angeal interrupted the staring contest, "is true you decided to lend out your apartment?"

Sephiroth frowned as he looked over at the two. "Yes. President Shinra is interested in her, and it wouldn't be wise for a possible Wutai spy to stay in the Shinra building."

"You still think I'm a spy?" Kagome regretted her small outburst when all three men looked over at her. Still, she wasn't going to be intimidated by the three… well, maybe a little. "What will it take to convince you?"

"It takes years to convince him your trust worthy," Genesis said. "It took ten years of missions together for him to trust us."

"Trust needs to be earned," Sephiroth gave him a look. "And it's hard to earn my trust when you disobey my orders time and again."

( )

Professor Hojo looked giddy, a look Shinra had only seen once before when Lucrecia Crescent became pregnant. He chewed a bit on the end of his cigar as he watched the scientist review the video feeds from the other day with a 2nd Class SOLDIER gave the mysterious Kagome Higurashi a tour. "So?" He finally asked once the pair moved out of range of the cameras.

"I can't say for sure," Hojo started out as he pushed his glasses up. "However, it seems very likely that my project was a success." He turned around to look at Shinra. "I need the specimen before I can validate any of my data. Where is she?"

"Sephiroth took her home," Shinra said with a frown. "From the way he's been acting lately, I doubt we'll have his, or her, cooperation."

"I don't need their cooperation!" Hojo scoffed, "They're both specimens. Where would science be if one needed the cooperation of test subjects!"

Shinra's frown turned into a smile as he took his cigar out of his mouth and pointed at him. "That's why I like you, Hojo. You never let your morals get in the way like Gast did. However…" his expression turned into one of deep thought. "We do need Sephiroth on our side for this war."

Hojo obviously did not like Shinra's idea. He slammed his fist on the table before jumping to his feet. "Sephiroth is only causing problems! First he assisted the two Cetra specimens in escaping, and now he's kidnapped my latest specimen before I could even examine her! I demand to be able to terminate my own Jenova Project!"

"Calm down Hojo," Shinra snapped. "Sephiroth is the poster-boy for SOLDIER. If he were to 'disappear', our recruitment levels would drop! Until this war is over, and we control all of Gaia, Sephiroth cannot be lost!"

"Then give me the girl," Hojo snarled. "He doesn't even have to know what happened to her. Surely your Turks could handle that."

Shinra shook his head, chewing on his cigar. He wanted, no, _needed_ Hojo's latest experiment to succeed, and would have no qualms giving the professor his specimen. However, "Sephiroth is taken with the girl, if something happened to her, he would not accept it as an accident. I'm afraid you will have to wait."

Hojo grinded his teeth as he glared hatefully at the video, paused to show Sephiroth escorting his newest specimen out of the Shinra building. If he had know what trouble his Project would cause him, he would have never treated him as nice as he did as a child. He would have beat the boy into submission; made sure that he knew who was in control.

"There is some new that you might like," Tseng suddenly spoke up, stepping out of the shadows as he closed his cell phone. "We have confirmed the location of the two Cetra."

Hojo's eyes lit up. He most cherished specimens, the last of the Cetra! Years ago, they had escaped, thanks to Sephiroth, and his research had to be put on hold. If he had them, he would happily wait until Sephiroth's usefulness ran out. "Where are they?"

Before answering, Tseng looked towards Shinra, who gave his approval with a nod of his head. "Rod and Gun have confirmed that they are hiding in the Sector 5 slums."

Right under his nose! Hojo didn't know if he should be upset or excited. Why had it take them this long to find the Cetra if they were so close? But it meant he could have them by the end of the day…

"Inform Verdot to send a team to collect them," Shinra ordered as Hojo plotted silently in his chair. "They are not to be harmed in any way, but they must not escape, understood? And no one must now of their disappearance."

"Yes sir," Tseng nodded, and ignored the malevolent smile on Hojo's face as he walked out of Shinra's office, his mind on other things.

"Keep them under close wraps," Shinra warned Hojo, breaking the madman out of his devilish thoughts. "You know I don't often tell you what to do, but take them out of Midgar. We cannot risk Sephiroth figuring out we have them."

Hojo nodded absently, "I'll take them to my lab in Nibelheim, I should have all the equipment I need there…" he answered as he rose to his feet. "My assistants have kept the place in working order, and my Jenova specimen is still there…" He continued to talk to himself as he left, leaving Shinra alone in his office. The large president spun his chair to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows at his city. He more or less ruled the entire planet; Wutai would soon fall, and then every man woman and child would depend on him for Mako energy. However, his lust for power wasn't satisfied at all. He wanted more than just this little rock; he wanted to control the stars, and planets beyond it. The Jenova Specimen was proof there was life beyond this planet, and even the legends of the Cetra hinted that they weren't originally from Gaia. When Hojo came to him with a radical idea of a bridge between two worlds, he was instantly hooked on the idea.

The Shinra Power Company would control the stars, and if the Turks found the Cetra, he would rule from Neo-Midgar in the Promised Land.

Aerith had a smile on her face as she watched Zack pull up the church's hardwood floor to make more room for the flowerbed. It was kind of amazing to watch him rip the planks up with little effort, where it had taken her and her mother a day and a bunch of borrowed tools to just move one.

"I guess he is useful for something," her mother whispered.

"I told you mom," Aerith said as she looked over to her mother. "Even though he's in SOLDIER, Zack's a real nice guy."

Ifalna didn't seemed entirely convinced, but nodded her head. "Just be careful. SOLDIER or not, he's still a teenage boy."

"Mom!" Aerith's face turned bright red which made her mother chuckled slightly. However, Ifalna grew quiet as the doors to the abandoned church opened loudly. She gasped when she saw the two Turks and the small platoon of Shinra MPs. She quickly moved in front of her daughter as one of the Turks, Tseng if she remembered right, walked up the aisle alone.

"I'll give you a chance to come quietly Mrs. Gast," Tseng spoke calmly to Ifalna. "I don't want either of you becoming injured."

"Oh really?" She hissed, the old wound from one of his bullets gave a slight ache near her heart. "Is that's why you almost killed me?"

Tseng frowned, but he couldn't answer before Zack joined the small group. "What's going on Tseng?"

"Don't get involved," Tseng told him with a dark look. "Leave right now."

Zack frowned as he crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. Why are the Turks interested in Aerith and Mrs. Gast?"

"Zack, don't," the other Turk warned, a teenage girl about Zack's age with shoulder length red hair. "Our orders are from President Shinra himself."

Zack paused before shaking his head. "I don't care Cissnei. Sephiroth told me to look after these two no matter what. Besides, if the president sent Turks, it can't be good."

Cissnei frowned before nodding. The MPs took their cue and raised their guns, locking their aim on the SOLDIER. "We have orders to kill anyone who gets in the way." She offered him one last chance, but Zack only smiled as he shook his head.

"Mrs. Gast, Aerith, run!" Zack swung his sword at Tseng, who dodged it. However, that's what Zack had hoped for. The distraction gave the two women a head start as they rushed for the back door. Tseng chased after them; but there was nothing Zack could do about that as the MPs opened fire. He could only pray the two girls were faster than the Turk.

A bullet whizzed past Aerith, only a hair's breath away from hitting her leg, but she refused to look back as he mother dragged her into the back room. The door barely closed before another bullet was shot. Thankfully, the thick wooden door took the shot without giving. Ifalna quickly braced the door a moment before Tseng tried to break it open. Aerith was right beside her, pressing onto the door with all her strength. "Aerith! Run!"

"I'm not leaving your mom!" She said, wincing as the door shook again.

"Yes you are! Remember what I taught you!" Aerith looked up at her mother, unsure. "Now run!"

The teenager paused before leaving her mother and running up the rickety stairs that led to the hole in the roof. She managed to reach the rafters before the door broke down. "Mom!" She shouted when she saw her mother on the ground, Tseng bent over her. The Turk looked up, his dark eyes making her freeze for a moment before she ran across the wide raters to the opening in the roof.

"Aerith!" She didn't pause when Tseng shouted for her. How could he do this? He had protected and tipped them off when Shinra was searching for them. Why was he doing this? And Zack! She knew he was a SOLDIER, but he was still human. Could he survive a fight against a squad of MPs with guns?

Tears streaked down her face as she carefully made her way across the top of the junk piles. She had to focus! Her mother had taught her exactly what to do in a time like this. First: get far away from their pursuers; two: find a safe place to hide; three: call Sephiroth for help.


	7. Chapter Six

**A/n: **This is the revised version of Chapter Six, and I recommend you reread it since a major turning point is changed.

**~(Chapter Six)~**

Zack gasped for air as he leaned on a pew, keeping an eye on the MPs scattered on the floor. Occasionally, one would groan or twitch, but otherwise they stayed down. Still, Cissnei and Tseng had gotten past him with Ifalna in tow. He had tried his best to go after them, but the MPs had blocked his path until the two Turks got away. He sighed before shouldering his sword and made his way towards the door, wincing at the sharp pain in his side where a few bullets had nicked him. However, his mind was on more important things. Where was Aerith? He had to find her before the Turks did!

Then again, if he didn't tell Sephiroth what had happened, and the General found out, it didn't matter if both girls were safe or not, he was going to kill him. The thought made him pause at the door, fishing his phone out of his pocket. There were a few dents in it, but still in working order.

"_What Fair?" _Sephiroth answered after a few rings.

"I know you're going to kill me," Zack started, "but the Turks have Ifalna. I think Aerith got away, but I'm not sure."

There was silence on the line for a few minutes, and Zack could only imagine the murderous thoughts Sephiroth was entertaining before he sighed quietly. _"Check Elmyra's, Aerith would have headed there. If she is, stay with her."_

"Yes sir!" Zack sighed as Sephiroth hung up. Well, it was better than him yelling, though he was sure that would come later. 

( )

Genesis didn't bother to knock on the apartment door before barging in. If Sephiroth actually asked _him_ to check up on Kagome, chances were something was seriously wrong.

"AHH!" SOLDIER reflexes kicked in at the scream, Genesis went for his sword, unsheathing it the same time he summoned a single fireball to hang in the air

"Do you _always_ barge in!" Kagome yelled when she recognized the intruder, pausing for a second before throwing her makeshift weapon. Genesis side-stepped the pillow, and switched on the light before letting the fire magic fade away. His annoyed expression disappeared shortly before a satisfied smile appeared.

"Nice Pjs," Genesis commented, his smile becoming a grin as Kagome blushed and looked down at her makeshift sleeping clothes, which was just one of Sephiroth's black sweaters, long enough to cover her backside, and little of her legs. "I have to say," the SOLDIER continued, "I've never seen a girl pull off that look better than you…"

He barely dodged the next pillow, and was still grinning as he watched her shimmy into her jeans. Maybe if Sephiroth wasn't interested in her, he should make a move. Wutai spy or crazy; either was she was beautiful, and he had to admit, it was refreshing she wasn't blinded by the limelight that surrounded him, or the others.

"So?" Kagome asked after she finished buttoning her jeans, crossing her arms as she continued to glare at Genesis. "What's so important that you have to wake me up?"

The grin disappeared instantly, causing Kagome to worry. "Sephiroth wanted someone to check on you since Hojo's back," Genesis answered as he marched towards the windows, pulling the long black curtains back just enough to peek out of them. To anyone else, the city street and the building would look deserted, but with the Mako-enhanced sight, he could see the faint green gleam off a night scope, and the dull red light of a lit cigarette in a 3rd story window in the building across the street.

He put on a smile as he turned back towards Kagome, "So," he continued, "you get to hang out with me until further notice. Aren't you lucky?"

Kagome sighed as she flopped back onto the couch, grabbing the plush blanket to cover herself. "Hojo…" It seemed so strange to hear that name and not have it mean the sweet man she knew back home. She looked back up to Genesis, who was once again glancing carefully out the window, a serious look on his face she wasn't used to. Of course, she hadn't known him for long, but he seemed to be more easy going, with little to worry about. "Why is Sephiroth worried about Hojo?" She asked, interrupting his concentration.

"Sephiroth and Hojo have never gotten along," he replied, turning from the window, but not moving from his post. "However, Hojo is unpredictable, and not the best of characters." He didn't tell her about the rumors that were circulating, partly because you couldn't trust the Shinra rumor mill at all, but also because he didn't want to cause the young girl any unneeded worry.

He didn't believe she was a Wutai spy, he had dealt with dozens of spies over the years, and none of them acted as Kagome did. And there was no way she was from another world, that was outlandish, even for the imaginative secretaries. He did have to admit, however, she wasn't acting as panicked as an amnesiac would. Maybe she was just naturally accepting, but she didn't seemed concerned about finding out exactly who she was, and where she came from.

Kagome sat in silence as she thought. President Shinra had told her that Hojo had contacted other worlds, what if he had unknowingly brought her here? Could he help her return to her world? Would he, even if he could? Sephiroth, and now Genesis, didn't seem to trust him, but could she trust the two's judgment, after all Sephiroth didn't believe her true story.

( )

Sephiroth tapped his fingers lightly on his leg, the only sign of his impatience as he stood in the center of the elevator as it descended to the lobby. The day could not become any worse, Hojo had returned from Wutai and everything went downhill from there. Ifalna had been captured, Aerith was missing, and Genesis had confirmed his suspicion, Turks were watching Kagome.

His first concern was finding Aerith, he had promised Professor Gast before his death he would watch out of the young girl. It was the least he could do for the late professor for giving him some semblance of a normal life for five years. He only wished he had been able to protect professor Gast from the Shinra Troops when they stormed the small house in Icicle inn years ago.

The elevator doors opened, and Sephiroth waited no time storming across the marble lobby floor, ignoring the startled civilians staring at him. However, he didn't ignore his phone as usual when it beeped quietly. He didn't bother looking at the caller ID before answering with a snap, "What?"

"Sephiroth!" The broken voice made the SOLDIER stop instantly in his tracks. "They-they have mom! I couldn't do anything! And Zack! They 'd probably kill him and-and…"

"Calm down," Sephiroth commanded, but in a softer tone than anyone would guess he was capable of using. He continued to walk away from the Shinra building towards Sector 1, where the pedestrians crowding the sidewalk slowly thinned out. The caller gave a few deep breaths along with a small hiccup before a sigh. "Are you safe?" He asked as he sidestepped into a darkened alleyway.

"Y-yeah," Aerith answered with a small sniffle. "I'm…"

"Don't tell me," he interrupted. "This cellphone is more than likely bugged. Wait, and I will call you."

"Yes sir," she said quietly, taking a slight pause before asking, "Do you… can you find out if mom is okay?"

Sephiroth scowled for a moment, "The Turks won't hurt her. Your safety is most important at the moment."

"Alright," Aerith sighed. "I guess I'll see you in a bit. Be careful Seph."

"Hn," Sephiroth ended the call, memorizing the phone number that flashed a few times. At least she was safe, for the moment. He quickly navigated to the contacts list and dialed Zack. There was only a few rings before the young SOLDIER answered. "Aerith's safe. Stay with Elmyra until further notice."

"I'll make sure to pass that on to Zack," Elmyra's voice answered, slightly bemused. "Aerith's safe…, are you sure?"

"Yes," he answered tersely. "Where's Fair?"

"Taking care of some Shinra officers that followed him. I hope you were ready for this." Her suspicion was still evident in her voice, but Sephiroth was used to it. The mid-aged woman was among the many slum dwellers that hated Shinra, and anyone associated with it.

"I will handle it," he vowed, and was unsurprised that Elmyra hung up first. He pocket his phone before continuing towards his apartment, reviewing his choices. As he had told Aerith, her safety was his primary concern, but so was Kagome. He wasn't sure why Hojo wanted her, but he was determined to keep her out of his hands.

After assuring their safety, rescuing Ifalna was next. That would prove to be extremely difficult. They had managed it years ago, but Hojo had increased security since then. Still he was the best of SOLDIER, and was willing to resort to storming Shinra HQ, a little too willing.

( )

Kagome had just fallen back to sleep when a quiet 'click' echoed through the apartment. She was on her feet before she could think, her fluffy pillow ready to be thrown with a surprise extra kick of Miko power. Both Sephiroth and Genesis gave her a curious look as she groaned and flopped down on her makeshift bed, covering her face with her pillow.

"She's a bit edgy," Genesis explained as he returned to his book, not noticing the look on Sephiroth's face as he crossed the living room. However, Kagome did. She had been prepared to defend herself, she had never been able to completely relax in a strange place, but her words had died in her throat as he wordlessly passed her and headed towards his bedroom.

She paused, torn between leaving him alone, or following to see why he had a murderous look on his face. She looked over at Genesis, who was sitting in the straight chair, his feet propped up on the small breakfast table. He was completely enthralled in his book, a large white-covered book titled 'Loveless'. He didn't seemed bothered by his friend's behavior, if he even had noticed it at all.

Really, she rationalized, it wasn't her problem. She didn't know him well enough really. For all she knew, this could just be normal behavior for him.

She followed him anyways, pausing at the bedroom doorway to watch him search through the bottom drawer of his dresser, which was full of miscellaneous items, more honors, medals, but mostly Materia of various colors. He found what he was looking for at the way back, tucked into the corner. To Kagome's surprise, it was just a plain black phone, identical to the one she had seen before.

"Seph…" She began, but was silence by a quick gesture. She bit her lip, easily telling he was agitated about something by the way he hurriedly dialed a number, twitching his free hand as he waited for someone to answer.

"Where are you?" he asked a bit harshly, and Kagome watched as some of the tension left his body. "… Stay there, and try to keep unnoticed. I will be there as soon as I can." Sephiroth paused for a moment before closing the phone. He gave a small sigh of relief, looking worn and tired, before regaining his composure and turning towards Kagome.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"It's complicated," he said, brushing her concern off as he knelt down to the drawer again, this time to sort through the Materia. He had expected her to drop the subject, as so many had done in the past when treated coldly, but Kagome crouched down beside him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. He looked up, and was further surprised by the warm but concerned expression.

"Okay then, how can I help?" she asked with a sincere smile.

He paused, unsure how to react, but pushed his worries away. Whatever part she was playing, spy or amnesiac, there was little chance she was in league with Shinra. "Can you fight?" Kagome was surprised, but nodded her head. "Aerith is waiting for us in the Sector 7 slums. We have to reach her before the Turks or the Shinra army."

"So, it's not just Kagome they're after," Genesis said, appearing in the doorway, still focused on his book. "You always attract the problematic women." He snapped the book shut and look straight at Sephiroth. "You won't be able to leave together without an entourage."

"Wait, someone's after me?" Needless to say, Kagome was startled with the news, but quickly chastened herself. Why else would Sephiroth send Genesis, who was acting a little paranoid by occasionally peeking out the window with a frown on his face.

Neither man answered her, but Sephiroth stood up and walked towards his window. Early morning light peeked inside the bare apartment as he opened the curtain slightly, a scowl appearing on his face before he let the thick curtain return to its previous place. He turned back to them, calculating a plan in his head. After a moment, he turned his attention to Genesis, a small smile forming on his lips, "how would you like to meet one of your fans?"


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/n: **This is a very different version of chapter seven than previously posted. If you are unable to review, and really want to, feel free to PM me. I realize that replacing the chapter makes it so old readers cannot re-review this. Also, if you didn't know, chapters 5 and 6 have also been replaced, so if your lost, go back and reread them.

Otherwise, thank all of you for staying interested in Otherworld! I know it's been forever since I updated last…

**~(Chapter Seven)~**

"They're leaving!" Elena shouted as she jumped up from the window seat, hurriedly grabbing her dark blue business jacket and her revolver. "Reno! Hurry!" She placed her revolver in its hidden holster before rushing across the dirty room. She was halfway out the door when Reno grabbed the neck of her coat and she was yanked back inside.

"Hold your Chocobos 'lena," Reno grumbled sleepily. "First of all, where's Rude?"

Elena pouted, looking towards the door. "They're getting away!"

"Where's Rude?"

The female Turk sighed, "Tseng wanted him for another mission. We tried to wake you!"

Reno let go of Elena, who smoothed down her outfit before frowning when she noticed Reno was taking his time to gather his stuff that was strewn everywhere. "We're going to lose them!" she complained.

"Relax, we'll be fine," he said, shrugging on his jacket and lazily resting his electric baton on his shoulder. "We can't be seen, remember?"

( )

"Are they following us?" The woman on Genesis's arm asked, clinging tightly to the SOLDIER. The red haired man glanced in one of the many boutique windows along the avenue, and easily recognized the pair in the reflection. They were keeping their distance, but it seemed as if they weren't trying their best to keep hidden. Only a few blocks away from Sephiroth's apartment he had first caught sight of the blonde Turk, and it wasn't long after that he noticed infamous red head, Reno.

"Yes," he said with a quirk of a smile as he looked down at the woman, hidden by an oversized hoodie. It seemed like Sephiroth's plan was working well, the woman from 8B was about Kagome's size, and with the hood pulled over her head, no one could see she had strawberry-blonde hair instead of black, or that her skin was much paler than Kagome's light tan. When the Turks found out that they had been fooled, there was going to be hell to pay, but Genesis found himself smiling at the prospect. He was always up for causing some trouble, and this time he could probably get away without any trouble.

( )

Sephiroth glanced around before motioning towards Kagome, who was dressed in an identically to her decoy in jeans and a borrowed hoodie. He led them the opposite way Genesis had gone, and towards the sector's train depot. Kagome was silent as she struggled to keep up with the SOLDIER's pace, but she wasn't upset about it. He had finally explained that Aerith, the girl waiting for them in the Sector 7 slums, was practically his little sister, and she was in danger. He didn't explain why, but Kagome knew if Souta or Shippo had been in danger, she'd be extremely anxious. In fact, she'd be raising hell, careless of the consequences. No one hurt her family and friends!

"After we board the train, we need to be on guard. The Security check will tell Shinra my whereabouts, and they'll send someone to investigate." Kagome nodded her head, both fear and excitement welling up. How long had it been since she did something like this? She really did miss her adventures in the Feudal era. Searching for the jewel fragments, getting in all kinds of danger with the Yokai and humans they met along the way.

After they reached the train station, Sephiroth flashed his SOLDIER ID at the conductor, who just stared at the man in awe, allowing Kagome to slip inside unnoticed. Sephiroth led them to the back of the train, which was practically deserted except for a sleeping homeless man. After hesitating for a moment, Kagome sat next to Sephiroth. It wasn't long until the train took off with a lurch, slowly gaining speed. At first, she was content to watch Midgar race past, but soon the train went into a tunnel as it descended from the plate.

After a long moment of silence, which Kagome tried to ignore as she fingered the Shikon jewel, surveying the small train car. It wasn't anything like the trains back home, which usually only had standing room only. It was very plush and decorated, but still shabby.

Finally, the silence was too much for Kagome to stand. "Was Aerith the young girl in the picture in your room?" She asked, looking to the man beside her. She could tell her question bothered him for some reason as he tensed a bit. "I don't mean to pry…"

Sephiroth paused before he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. My connections to Shinra have already been destroyed." Besides, he thought to himself, If she was truly with Shinra, she would have already known who Aerith and Ifalna were. "But you are correct. It's the only photograph I have of… my family. It was taken about a year before Professor Gast's death."

Kagome remembered the bespectacled man, and the woman he had been holding close. "Who was the other woman?" For a moment, she wondered if she was prying a little too much. Sephiroth had an exhausted appearance as he leaned back into the vinyl bench.

"Ifalna, Aerith's mother…" he answered as he opened his eyes. "… Shinra has her, though by now she's probably in _his_ hands." The word was spoken with such hate, Kagome knew that whoever 'he' was, it didn't bode well for Ifalna. The look of guilt and burden on his face compelled Kagome to impulsively wrap her arms around Sephiroth, giving him a tight hug.

"After Aerith, we'll rescue her," she promised, even though she had no clue how they would do it. She didn't know barely anything about this world, but every instinct was telling her to comfort the man before her.

She was about to pull away, realizing how tense Sephiroth was, before he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. It was a bit awkward, but Kagome had to admit she liked the strong embrace. The few flings she had with Hojo and the other men she had dated always had one flaw, their hugs were too gentle, as if they were afraid they'd break her. She didn't like being treated as if she was made out of glass; especially after all she had gone through.

The embrace came to an end as the lights turned red, and an alarm sounded. "Security breech! Security breech!"

"**** it," Sephiroth muttered under his breath. Kagome stood up after he let go of her, and saw through the glass door connecting the two train cars, security officers dressed in red rushing towards them. It seemed like she was going to have to channel her powers just through her hands again, even though it wiped her out.

However, before she could begin to summon her spiritual powers, Sephiroth grabbed her attention by forcing open the sealed door behind them. The noise of the train grew ten times louder, the wind whipping both their long hair as it rushed out into the tunnel. "Come on," Sephiroth commanded.

Kagome looked at him incredulously. "What? You can't be serious!"

Instead of answering, her grabbed her by the waist and dragged her to the edge. "Roll when you hit the ground." She could barely hear his words over the sound of the train, and cursed him internally as she was partially pushed, and partially jumped.

There was nothing gentle about the landing. Her legs slammed against the ground painfully as she did a small summersault, the gravel digging into her skin through her clothes. She laid there for a moment, trying to control the achy pain throughout her body. Okay, maybe she didn't miss this part of her adventures.

A soft wind rushed by, surprising Kagome as it soothed away the aches and pains. She sat up, and looked over to Sephiroth, holding a green Materia in his hand. "Cure," he explained simply before placing the orb back into his shoulder guard.

"What are we going to do?" she asked as she climbed to her feet, looking around the enclosed tunnel. Long strips of light provided enough light to see by, but barely. Ahead of them, a pale green laser blocked their path. She wasn't sure if it was harmful or not, but she didn't exactly want to find out the hard way.

Sephiroth didn't seem interested in following the tunnel either. He walked over to the wall of the tunnel, looking closely for something. By the time Kagome reached his side, he had found the small latch. With a slight tug, the hidden vent popped open. Without a word, Sephiroth climbed into the vent, leaving Kagome to consider her options for maybe half a second before she followed him. It wasn't as if she had any other viable options, and besides, this was kinda fun, and the view wasn't that bad either.

"_Quit looking at his butt!" _Kagome scolded herself, glad that no one could see her bright red face. Thankfully or unfortunately as part of Kagome's mind viewed it, the ventilation shaft ended. She heard more than saw Sephiroth punch the grate out before he half slid out, head first. She hurriedly crawled to the edge, worried, only to see him standing 15 feet below her, casually brushing the dust off his leather coat.

He looked up at her, "Are you coming?" She really didn't want to. She was no acrobat, and falling 15 feet headfirst was asking for trouble. Sephiroth noticed her hesitation, and crossed his arms. "Scared?" There was a hint of teasing in his voice that made Kagome determined.

"You better catch me!" she yelled back before stealing her courage and pushed herself over the edge. For a few moments, she was sure she was going to die. She had her eyes tightly closed as the wind rushed by. This was it. She more or less committed suicide in a foreign world, away from her family and her friends. They would have no clue what…

Her mental ramble ceased as she felt two arms grab her, holding her bridal style as she came to a sudden halt. She could feel her heart pounding as she opened her eyes, surprised that he had actually caught her. He only held her about a second longer before letting her slid down to stand on her own two feet. "Thank you."

Sephiroth nodded his head distractedly, looking down at her with a strange expression on his face before he suddenly turned and walked towards the edge of the platform they were standing on. Ever curious, Kagome looked around as she casually followed him. Above them was a metal plate, while hundreds of feet below the platform they stood on, was glimmering lights.

"Are we under the city?" She asked as she came up beside him. It was kinda beautiful looking at all the lights, but on closer look revealed not the normal buildings that populate the plate, but almost complete wreckage. Discarded scrap metal and trash littered the ground, with small paths and clusters of housing the only sign of human life.

"Under Midgar," he confirmed. "It appears as if we're above the Sector 5 slums."

Kagome frowned as she looked around the platform. "How are we going to get down?" She prayed it didn't involve any more jumping.

Sephiroth had a similar frown on his face as he looked away from the slums. And smiled when he saw a pillar at the far edge. "There should be an access ladder," he said as he strode quickly towards the pillar, which in Kagome's view, had seen better days. Sephiroth noticed the mistrustful look on her face. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"No!" She instantly defended. "I use to ride with Kirara, and Inuyasha loved to jump high!" It was just something about relying on worn out metal that made her a little cautious. But she didn't want to seem weak, especially when she knew he still questioned her sanity! With as much confidence as she could muster, she stormed over towards the pillar, and saw the rickety ladder. For a moment, her bravo wavered before she grabbed the rung and swung her leg over. With a defiant look towards Sephiroth, she started to climb down.

For a few moments, Sephiroth stood there, both amused and amazed by her attitude. Either she didn't know, or didn't care that he was Shinra's hero, that he was the strongest SOLDIER alive. And he liked that. Her fiery attitude was amusing, but her concern for everyone was what really struck him. Only tow people he knew were like that, Aerith and Ifalna.

Could she be a Cetra as well? He had seen her power in the VR room, with absolutely no Materia, no weapons or accessories.

"Are you coming?" She mimicked his tone from before, causing him to smirk slightly. He looked over the edge, surprised she had gotten so far.

"If I fall, will you catch me?" He teased back, his smirk growing bigger as her face turned bright red.

"No, then we'd both be dead! Who's going to rescue Aerith and Ifalna then?" She glanced below her before continuing down the ladder. Reminded of the mission they were on, Sephiroth grew serious as he climbed onto the ladder before making his way down.

( )

"I am severely disappointed in both of you," Tseng's words were colder than normal as he glared at the two Turks. Elena looked extremely embarrassed, with a few sniffs to suggest she was on the verge of tears. She couldn't even look up at Tseng, and could only stare at her shoes. Reno, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, the red haired Turk had lit a cigarette, careless of the strict no-smoking policy.

"Hey, at least Seph messed up enough to get caught on the train," Reno said lazily. "Now you guys have proof he's up to no good."

"Now he and the girl are missing!" Tseng countered harshly. "Neither of them were found by security. For all we know, it could have been another diversion!"

Reno didn't seem concerned by his superior's agitation. In fact, he blew smoke right in Tseng's face before he countered, "It's not like the mighty Sephiroth can walk around Midgar unnoticed. Besides, we know he'll come for the Cetra sooner or later."

Tseng sighed, knowing it was pointless to try to argue with the red head. It seemed like only Rude could make him see reason. With a flick of his hand, he dismissed the pair as he returned to his desk. The door closed before he looked up, so it was surprising to see Elena still there, her shoulders shaking as she tried not to cry. "Elena, you're dismissed."

She suddenly looked up, surprised. "S-sir! I… I'm so sorry I failed! I should have recognized that it wasn't Kagome! If I had just paid more attention, I would have seen…"

"Elena," Tseng interrupted her tear-filled rant. "You were a junior officer. If anyone is at fault, it's Reno. However, I expect that next time you won't be so easily seen by your target."

The blonde Turk winced. Not only had she helped Kagome earlier, but she had been recognized by the SOLDIER Genesis. "Y-yes sir. I'll do my best!" With that, she quickly fled Tseng's office. He sighed once more as he leaned back in his chair. This day could not get any worse.

As a Turk and a turncoat, he should have known better to say that.


	9. Chapter Eight

A/n: Okay, who honestly expected this? I didn't abandon this, but MedSurg is a killer, but good news is I'm graduating in July! AWESOMES!

But you're not here for that. You're here for Chapter Eight of Otherworld, right? So very long in coming, and at the end you will kill me, but enjoy! There is Fluff! Also, in case you didn't notice, I have redone everything from the prelude to chapter seven! So go, reread (or freshen up, because I haven't updated in who knows how long?

Did you know we're fifteen days away from this story being two years old? Two years, and eight chapters. That's sad…

~(** Chapter Eight**)~

Aerith fiddled with the free glass of water the bartender had given her, an empty basket of fries resting next to the centerpiece. How long had it been since she called Sephiroth? Was he almost here? Or were the Turks going to find her first? What about her mother? Was she okay? She was so scared; she didn't want to go back to Shinra! Those years haunted her nightmares regularly. Being locked in a small cell by herself, only catching glimpses of her mother as the assistants shuffled her between the lab and her cell. Having the scientists talk about as if she wasn't a person, but just an object. Years later, she could clearly remember the feeling of the needles being ruthlessly shoved under her skin both for injections and to draw her blood. It literally had been hell for her, and fervently prayed she never had to be put through that again.

The door of '7th Heaven' opened, and Aerith looked up, hoping it was Sephiroth, but was disappointed when all she saw was a large man, who must have been a regular by the way the barmaid smiled at him. Aerith was a little disconcerted by his gunarm, but focused back on her water. How much longer until he came? Did something happen? Did Shinra intercept her call? Had they finally figured out that he had known where she and her mother were hidden? Were Shinra troops on their way right now?

The door opened again, and once more Aerith was disappointed when a woman walked in. Aerith looked back down at her cell phone; she had sold her fullmetal staff and a few of her prize Materia for it. Should she try calling him again? Would he be annoyed? Would someone else answer and give her location away?

"Excuse me," Aerith looked up, surprised to find the woman who had just walked in. "Um, you're Aerith, right?"

Instantly Aerith tensed. "I don't know who you're talking about," she answered immediately. However, as the woman frowned, Aerith wondered. Her accent was different, like some of the Wutai immigrants that had moved into the house next to hers, and there was something different about her, but she couldn't place what it was. She looked normal enough, with waist length black hair, bright light brown eyes, and a delicate tan. Her jeans and white hoodie appeared dirty and worn, fitting right in with the other slum dwellers. But yet, something deep inside her told her this woman was… different. "Why are looking for her?" she asked as the woman looked around the bar, a deep frown on her face.

"She's… my friend's little sister," she answered awkwardly with a small smile. "She had told him she'd be waiting here…"

"Seph's here?" Aerith asked, forgetting all about caution, too excited to care. He was here! Her big brother had come to save her!

The woman's smile grew. "You are Aerith! Yeah, he's waiting back in Sector Six."

Her excitement quickly turned back in to wariness. "Why?" She asked, wishing she still at least had her Materia. Sephiroth had never mentioned a lady friend, not to her, and not to her mother. Surly he wouldn't have hidden that, would he? He didn't hide Zack, Genesis, or Angeal from them.

Zack… she prayed he was okay. He had been so brave…

The woman shrugged, "Something about Anti-Shinra groups hanging around here. I wasn't exactly sure, he just told me to come fetch you."

Fetch her, as if she was some dog. It all but affirmed the fact this girl was working for Shinra. Aerith looked around the seedy bar, hoping that anyone would notice her predicament and help. However, all of them were imbedded in their own world. No one was paying any attention to the flower girl.

Gathering her courage, Aerith plastered on a sweet smile as she stood up. "Well, you found her! Aerith Gast, and you are?"

"Higurashi, Kagome," she answered. "It's nice to meet you. I haven't known Sephiroth long, but he seems very…"

"Different?" Aerith guessed as the pair walked out of the bar and down the dirt streets. Her eyes weren't on the road, but flitting from place to place, desperately trying to think how to get away.

"Yeah, but in a good way," Kagome answered with a different tone in her voice that made Aerith look towards her. Her suspicion eased slightly when she saw the gentle expression on Kagome's face. Deciding it was a good way to distract the older woman, Aerith smiled.

"You like him~" she teased in a singsong voice, and laughed as her suspicion was proven right when Kagome's face turned bright red.

"N-no! He… He saved my life! And despite thinking I'm crazy, he's protecting me. Besides…" Kagome paused, stopping in the center of the dirt path. "He's popular, right? I bet he has girlfriend already… not that I like him like that!" She quickly defended, seeing the look on Aerith's face.

"Sure you don't," Aerith giggled. "And no, he doesn't have a girlfriend. Hundreds of fangirls, and boys, but Sephiroth's never had a girlfriend to my knowledge. Besides, Seph thinks everyone is crazy, he doesn't understand emotions." How did she not know this? Everyone knew about the cold SOLDIER and his distaste for relationships!

Kagome was silent for a while, taking in this new information before remembering her mission. "Speaking of which, we'd better go before he gets upset…"

Aerith nodded her head, feeling conflicted. Kagome didn't seem like a Turk or any Shinra employee… Should she trust her? Part of her wanted to, but her mind reminded her that her friends and family told her she was too trusting. Could she really risk going with her?

Could she risk not going?

She'd walk with her to sector six, and if there was no sign of Sephiroth, she'd run for it. If it wasn't too late.

Kagome wondered about the sudden change in the teen's attitude, before she had been happy and smiling, now she acted as if she was marching to her death. She was about to ask what was wrong when Aerith looked up, a smile spreading across her face. Kagome looked ahead, wondering what had brightened her mood, and saw Sephiroth not far ahead. A small smile of her own spread across her own face. Despite trying to be unattached, there was a hint of agitation in the way the silver haired man stood stiffly, his arms crossed as he watched the pair silently.

"Seph!" Aerith cried happily, rushing towards him and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Kagome bit back a smile as she watched him obviously a little discomforted as he tried to calm down the teen, who held on to him as if he was her only life line. Her smile only grew when he looked up and gave her a disapproving frown, silently telling he wasn't amused by her taking obvious enjoyment out of his discomfort.

"Aerith," he spoke quietly, stepping back slightly. Instantly Kagome's amusement was gone when she saw the tears streaking down Aerith's face. Sympathy rushed through the Miko as she quickly strode over and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay," she soothed, rubbing circles in the girl's back as she tried to calm down. "We're here to help. Everything's going to be okay."

Sephiroth watched wordlessly as Kagome continued to calm Aerith down, who was now just sniffling slightly with an occasional sob. One thing he had never been good at was emotional displays, much less calming down someone such as the woman before him. Whenever he was faced with the situation, usually one of his men that had become homesick, he'd just bark at the man to shape up or be dismissed. He had tried that tactic long ago with Aerith, and it had only caused the then 13 years old to cry more and Ifalna to scold him.

"We need to go," he finally reminded them when Aerith rubbed her eyes one last time. Her eyes were bright red, but there was no longer tears threatening to fall when she looked at him.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as he led the two through the gates separating Sector 7 and Sector 6.

"Elmyra's."

( )

It didn't take long before the trio arrived Elmyra's house tucked in the back of the Sector 5 slums. Aerith rushed ahead as soon as the two-story Victorian home appeared. An older woman with graying hair quickly hugged the teen, making a maternal fuss over her. However, what caught Kagome's eye was Zack leaning against the streetlight briefly before standing up and saluting the pair, a quick wink towards Kagome.

"Sir!" Sephiroth nodded towards him, allowing the boy to relax into a casual stance.

"Watch over Aerith and Kagome until my return," Sephiroth commanded. "Rude and Shuriken have already followed us, so there will be more troops attempting to abduct them."

Zack frowned, "Cissnei…" he shook his head. There was no time for that now. "Yes sir."

Kagome frowned as Sephiroth quickly turned and started to leave. Without pausing she followed him, and grabbed his wrist gently. "Where are you going?" she asked when he looked back at her, unafraid of the slight annoyance that crossed his face. "I came along to help you, Sephiroth. You asked if I could fight, and I can. Let me fight beside you." She wasn't exactly sure why, but she had a strong feeling that she needed to stick close to Sephiroth's side. After years of training her Miko senses, she had learned to trust her intuition, even when it went against her common sense.

Sephiroth was surprised for a second before his lips contorted into a small frown. "I didn't intend for you to fight against the whole of Shinra." '_It's too dangerous,'_ he thought but didn't voice. It was easy to let her fight against the weaker monsters that roamed about the slums. But in an all out fight against Shinra headquarters, he wouldn't be able to constantly watch and guard her.

Kagome stood up tall, throwing back her shoulders as she defiantly looked up at him. "Don't think I'm a pushover. I fought thousands of yokai, including Naraku! I'm going to prove to you I'm not a spy, and I'm not crazy!"

He wanted to point out that others would argue based on the fact she wanted to help him lay siege to Shinra. Or because she was openly arguing with him, there was only a handful of people who dared to do that. Still, he couldn't help but smile slightly. The stubborn expression was rather… cute. "You'll need a weapon."

Kagome blinked, surprised how easily he consented. "Really?"

"I'm not your superior, I can't force you to stay behind," he pointed out before continuing in a swift walk, Kagome pausing only for a heartbeat before finding a place at his side. "Besides, I have a feeling you would follow me regardless."

A large grin spread across her face. "Yep!" Impulsively she grabbed his hand, threading her fingers with his. She smiled at his shocked expression when he looked down at her. "You'll have to do better than that to get rid of me!"

"Sephiroth! Wait!" Aerith's voice halted the pair and wait for the teen and her bodyguard to catch up with them.

"You are staying," Sephiroth said firmly, reluctantly untangling his hand from Kagome's so he could cross his arms. "No excuses."

Aerith bit her lip, "You're going to rescue mom, right?" Her voice was quiet, conveying the fear she felt along with the way she kept her eyes on directed towards her boots.

"Yes."

Aerith looked to Zack beside her, before reaching back towards the ribbon that held her plaited ponytail together, and carefully taking something out of her hair. She held the object close to her heart before stepping closer to Kagome and held it towards her. The Miko was surprised at the very pale greenish-white Materia the girl offered her. "You should take this with you."

"Holy…" Sephiroth breathed, shocked as Kagome accepted the rare Materia. "Aerith, Ifalna…"

"Told me that it's power will protect us," she interrupted him. "You guys will need it more than we will."

"I'll keep it safe," Kagome promised. Even thought she didn't feel right using Materia, it always left a strange feeling in her heart, this Materia was eerily like the Shikon jewel, which almost resonated with power when it was close to the white Materia, filling her with renewed energy and strength.

( )

Night was setting over Midgar, the streetlights of the Loveless avenue slowly coming to life as people started to fill the streets, ready to party hard on the Friday night. Strangely, not many noticed the two 1st Class SOLDIERs waiting on the street overlooking the Avenue's fountain. Genesis was predictably reading Loveless, while beside him Angeal scanned the thickening crowds.

"How does it look?" Sephiroth asked he approached the two, Kagome at his side with a new long bow, and an armlet to hold a few Materia, including Holy.

"Besides the usual annoying infantrymen patrolling?" Genesis quipped, glancing up only after placing his bookmark and returning the book to his pocket.

"Clear," Angeal finished. He grabbed his extra sword, nodding a hello to Kagome. To her credit, she didn't seem a tad scared about their mission. He wasn't sure if that was due to bravery, or the fact she just didn't know what they were heading into.

"You know your positions?" Sephiroth asked calmly, going through the usual pre-mission steps.

"Angeal and I have some fun," Genesis said with a smile, "drawing the bulk of attention to us, allowing you two to sneak up the emergency."

"As soon as the intruder alarms are tripped, we rendezvous on Floor 67 and help escort Mrs. Gast out of the Shinra building," Angeal finished.

Sephiroth nodded before looking over towards Kagome. She gave a small smile, "Stick next you and try not to get capture," she quoted her orders from earlier. Her smile widened at the small smirk as he confirmed her words with a nod.

"Let's go."


	10. Chapter Nine

A/n: I know, it's been about two months. I have about a three-week period before the summer session starts, so hopefully I can get chapter ten wrote and published. After May 23rd… don't expect an update until August. I'm starting my Ob/peds/gero rotation and I'm not going to have time to write anything unfortunately. However, once I pass Nclex and find myself a job, updates should be a bit more predictable.

And look! Almost 200 reviews! I am so ecstatic about that! I know I haven't been able to reply to everyone's reviews, but I just want to say I read each and every one and they make my day, and inspire me to keep going! Especially those of you who offer ideas and plot bunnies. That really helps, because I don't really have a plan for this story, I'm winging every chapter. So every idea given to me has a pretty good chance of happening.

One last thing. I realize that last chapter I left off at a cliff hanger. This chapter also ends in a cliff hanger. One even worse than chapter eight. I'm also sorry about the jumps. If it's too annoying, go ahead and tell me, and I'll cut them out. It'll make the chapter a lot shorter though, but I want my fans to be pleased.

Oh gosh, I said fans. I have fans. *faints*

ANYWAYS! On to the story! Here is Chapter Nine of Otherworld!

~(**Chapter Nine**)~

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting," Genesis quoted after he paused in the middle of the lobby. Only Angeal beside him heard his poetry, despite the dozens of people rushing around them.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Angeal muttered as the red haired SOLDIER almost gleefully summoned fire to his hands before sending the fireballs towards the massive ceiling. Screams filled the air as debris began to rain down. Angeal sighed and Genesis grinned widely when MPs and infantrymen rushed towards the pair.

"There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess! Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds!"

( )

"Who makes staircases like this?" Kagome complained as she tried to keep up with Sephiroth, who was taking the stairs two at a time. She had lost count how many floors they had ascended, but knew it was well over twenty. She thanked her journeys in the Feudal era, if that hadn't trained her body there was no way she could have done this. Still, she felt that there was something else giving her strength and the endurance to keep up with the SOLDIER.

"There's no turning back now," Sephiroth told her lightly, not feeling the least bit winded. However, he did pause on the next landing, allowing her to take a break. He was surprised that she was able to keep up with him so far, most would have given up around the 5th floor. But they were near the 60th floor, and she was still only a few step behind him. That alone was a commendable act.

Part of him was satisfied that he allowed her to come where he could keep a close eye on her, while another part wished she would've stayed behind. Not because she was cumbersome, she was as useful as a competent SOLDIER but because the chances of her becoming injured or captured increased tenfold.

"Why?" The question was spoken before he could stop himself. Kagome looked up, confusion written on her face. He sighed but clarified, "you have no personal involvement or a vendetta against Shinra. Why are you doing this?"

Kagome's face turned a brighter shade of red. She adverted her eyes, and contemplated her words as she stared down the staircase. "Because it seems to be the right thing to do. I mean, you've done a lot to help me. I want to help you now." She glanced up after a moment of silence, and was surprised by the unidentifiable expression on his face. Did he understand what she meant? She remembered Aerith saying he didn't understand emotions. But the young teenager had been right, Kagome found herself liking the cold SOLDIER in more than a friendly way.

And despite knowing better, she wanted him to know that.

"We should continue," Sephiroth said after a moment. She sighed as Sephiroth turned and continued up the stairs before running after him. Obviously, this was not the right time to bring up emotions or anything of the like.

But still, it reminded her strongly of Inuyasha, and how he always avoided the subject. Why was she always attracted to that kind of man? Why couldn't she have been happy with Hojo? She knew he would love her, give her a safe, stable life. But it would be a boring life with no real excitement. No deeper passion that she craved in her heart. However, could she really find a guy to fit her dreams and expectations?

Could she really settle for less?

She shoved her thoughts towards the back of her mind when she realized they had reached the top of the stairs. "Most of the guards will be reacting to the alarm on the first floor," Sephiroth told her. "But we still need to be prepared. This is floor 59, Ifalna will be on floor 67. However, Shinra has recently allowed Hojo's monsters to patrol the floors during emergencies."

Kagome nodded, pulling an arrow out of the quiver on her back and putting in place. "Okay, let's go."

Sephiroth smirked lightly and opened the door. The floor was quiet, dimly lit in red emergency lights, and the sounds of orders over the intercom system was almost deafening. It wasn't a calm monotone voice announcing the danger, but a very angry man shouting orders and demanding people evacuate. Sephiroth gestured silently for Kagome to follow him. Even though there was no sign of anyone, they stuck to the shadows as they made their way towards the elevators.

Just at the last moment, Sephiroth grabbed Kagome and pulled her behind a statue, hiding them both in the darker shadows as a guard passed by. His red uniform made it near impossible to see until he was only a few feet away. Sephiroth released his grip on Kagome's shoulders to grab his Masamune, but the Miko was quicker. She summoned the power from her Materia, despite that growing uncomfortable feeling in her chest, and placed her hand on the floor. Electricity danced from her hand to the floor, before rushing across in blinding white arches towards the guard. There was only a strangled yell before he dropped to the ground, but the magic wasn't done yet. It continued to race across the marble floor, searching for any others. Three more cries were barely audible over the shouts of the intercom.

Kagome offered Sephiroth an attempted grin, but only managed an abashed smile at his incredulous look. "Told you I would be useful."

Sephiroth nodded his head, a small smirk across his face for some reason. "Follow me," he said quietly before leading her to the elevator.

( )

"How many infantrymen are there?" Genesis asked, throwing a squad back with strong thunder spell.

"Don't ask," Angeal growled, slamming his fist into the ground, sending a blaze of fire across the floor before erupting in front of yet another group of guards.

"How long is it going to take for them to find Sephiroth?" Genesis asked, and paused when he saw Angeal turn towards him, a severe frown on his face.

"For the last time, Genesis, I. Don't. Know." To Angeal's annoyance, Genesis grinned deviously before firing a round of Fireballs.

( )

The elevator chimed quietly as the doors opened to reveal floor 67, otherwise known as the Science Department. Like the other floors, it was dimly lit by red lights, and klaxons sounding drowned out any other noises. "Stay close to me," Sephiroth commanded as he and Kagome stepped off the elevator. She didn't ask any questions but kept her bow at the ready, her eyes sharp as she tried to see through the darkness.

Kagome didn't see any guards, but what she did see about sickened her. Kept in crates and glass containers were… well, monsters would be an appropriate word. Some of them she recognized from their trip to the slums, like the fat, spiky beasts with the lolling tongues that bounced against their bars trying to reach them. Small, blue lizards were crammed together in another storage container, green ooze covering the bottom and sides of their prison. There was some floating in the glass specimen chambers that looked a lot like Kappa yokai and monsters that looked like giant coins that floated in their chamber, bright clown faces painted on both sides.

"What are those?" she whispered, pressing closer to Sephiroth's side as a large worm with a mouth full of teeth stuck its long tongue out, almost brushing her legs.

"Hojo's creations," Sephiroth answered, his voice full of disdain. "He regards nothing with respect. Everyone and everything is a specimen to him." Kagome shivered; the more she heard about the Hojo of this world the less she liked him.

Except that shiver continued, spreading goosebumps from her head to her toes along with a foreboding feeling. She clutched at the Shikon jewel, wondering what could cause that dark feeling. "Sephiroth… I think there's something wrong…"

The SOLDIER paused, and very faintly a metallic noise could be heard over the loud alarm. They both knew that there was trouble when a very sharp high-pitched whine echoed through the air. The platform in the middle of the room started to descend just as several machines came into view. It was unlike anything Kagome had seen before; the robots look almost like a millipede, except their bodies were made up of several sharp blades.

"Save your energy!" Sephiroth commanded, knowing that something else was approaching via the specimen elevator. He quickly wielded his sword, waiting until the monsters were close enough before delivering a single slash. The Masamune sliced through all them as if they were butter. Sparks flew, but the pair's attention was drawn to the large creature appearing from the elevator shaft.

( )

Downstairs, the lobby was little more than rubble. Magic, gunfire, and blades had destroyed any beauty the room had possessed. There were large gaping holes in the walls allowing fresh air in to feed the fires and making them burn brighter.

Genesis had taken post in the center of the lobby, sending wave after wave of magic and cutting down the odd soldier that came close. He still had a small smile on his face and quoted Loveless occasionally. Maybe it was Sephiroth's strange habit of choosing Shinra-owned places for destruction during their spars in the VR room, but he found razing the Shinra building to be quite gratifying and extremely fun.

Angeal, on the other hand, had managed to turn most of the SOLDIERs that responded to their side with a usual lecture and a subtle warning. He barked out orders as he knocked out infantrymen left and right, using an occasional thunder spell to take out one of the defense robots.

"WARNING! SCIENCE FLOOR UNDER ATTACK! MONSTERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED! WARNING! SCIENCE FLOOR UNDER ATTACK! MONSTERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED!" The alarm repeated itself, making everyone pause.

"You think Sephiroth needs help?" Genesis called out over the commotion, a smirk on his face as he noticed all the attention snapped to him. He was sure under all those helmets faces were turning pale in fear.

"We have our orders," Angeal said. "As soon as the alarms sounded, we were to rendezvous in the science lab."

Genesis sighed, "And we were having so much fun." Angeal rolled his eyes, but the friendly banter was forgotten as more infantrymen flooded down the stairs and elevators, accompanied by robots and monsters.

"After we take care of them," Angeal groaned. He was starting to wonder how many troopers were in the Shinra army.

Genesis grinned, "Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, wings stripped away, the end is nigh." Red energy shimmered from the Materia in his sword before a familiar roar of Bahamut Fury echoed through the lobby.

( )

The monster was absolutely grotesque. It was like Frankenstein's monster, a humanoid monster pieced together for other monsters. Its head was small, but one shoulder appeared to be another head, it had a large mouth filled with teeth. Its arms were mismatched, one was long, thin, with talons that scraped the floor while the other was short and thick, and the fingers bunched into a fist.

Both mouths opened in a roar, one emitting a deep growl and the other high-pitched screech. Green mist rose from the floor, condensing into four round shapes. As the mist disappeared, the shapes solidified revealing yellow round monsters with a single eye that bounced on the floor.

Sephiroth swung his sword towards the beast while Kagome plucked an arrow out of quiver and readied her bow. Pink spiritual power consumed the arrow, providing a release from the growing ache in her chest caused by using Materia. Both attacks hit the monster at the same time. The dual roar echoed through the room as half of its body was ripped away. Its four minions responded to its cry and started to bombard the pair. Sephiroth merely slashed the two that had aimed for him, while Kagome dodged hers. However, that took her closer to the monster. With its long skinny arm it slashed at the priestess, its claws creating deep gashes in her back.

Kagome fell to her knees with a scream, fighting the tears in her eyes. However, the pain was quickly pushed back by fear and adrenaline as the monster's claws grabbed at the necklace on her neck.

The necklace that held the Shikon jewel.

"No!" she yelled. There was a surge of power as she grabbed the hand, calling the power of the Shikon jewel to destroy the monster. However, she could already feel the taint rolling off the jewel, reacting with the white Materia in her armlet. The light resulting from the reaction lit the dark room to a blinding level. Sephiroth squinted, trying to see through the light to see either Kagome or the monster. He had no clue as to what had happened. One minute Kagome had screamed, but as he turned the light had flooded the room. There was one only one thing he did know was that whatever happened, it was not good.


	11. Chapter Ten

A/n: Oh my goodness. Over 200 reviews. I _never_ imagined that this little thing could spawn such a huge positive response! I can't believe it! And I definitely cannot express my thanks and gratitude to you guys! I mean, I probably would've abandoned this story. But because you guys kept asking for more, I kept writing, and actually started to fall in love with the story. It's backwards, usually a author loves their story, but this was kinda the odd ball.

Anyways, here we are! chapter ten posted in about a week. Can you believe it? The lady, who usually takes several months between updates, updates within a week. Awesome, no? And do you want to know what's even more Awesome. I HAVE CHAPTER ELEVEN DONE! Yes sir, I do! Now here comes the big question. Do you want chapter eleven now, or say sometime in June/July to tide you over while I'm busy with Ob/peds/Gero? I'll wait another week to see what everyone thinks! If more people say 'I want it now!' then I'll post it. If you don't want it now, tell me when you would like it! In two weeks, three? In mid June, early July? Mid July? Tell me what you want! I don't care when I post it, I just want you people to be happy!

More about this chapter: I initially had no plans for this first scene. No plans at all, and then, corny as it sounds, I dreamed something similar. Now, I'm a cautious person when using dreams as inspiration for stories unless it's pure crack. But I thought about it, toyed with the idea and concept and the implications it would bring, and Minerva demanded that she make a cameo in this story. Now we have a completely new twist to the tale, and I have to fight the urge of pairing Minerva and Genesis together like I usually do. They make such a star-crossed cute couple.

But, like I said, I'm writing this story for you guys. I want to hear your opinions. Do you like the twist? Or do you think I should yank it? When should chapter eleven be posted? I did kinda leave this on another cliff hanger. I'm pretty bad about that lately! Bad . Bad girl.

BTW; kaminariyoru you were reviewer 200! *Hands out cookies and plushies*

**~(Chapter Ten)~**

"You are going to die."

Kagome was disoriented. The last thing she remembered was fighting the monster for the Shikon jewel in the cramped science department, but now she stood in a field of flowers- no monster or Sephiroth in sight. What happened? Had she jumped into yet another world….

Wait, what?

"Who said that!" she called out, wishing she had any kind of weapon with her. Her bow and Materia had disappeared with everything else.

"I did." Kagome turned, and saw a strangely dressed woman standing behind her. She had long blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in what looked like an old-fashioned white Greek dress with a crown of gold and sapphire partially hidden behind her long bangs. "I am Minerva, Goddess and Voice of Gaia. And you will die if you do not leave our world."

Kagome looked around in what could possibly match a definition of heaven and remembered that she should have deep gashes in her back, but there wasn't even a slight ache where just seconds ago there had been agonizing pain. "I'm… not already dead?"

Minerva shook he head. "No, I'm communicating to you through the Holy Materia. Only a few seconds will past in the real world before your consciousness returns."

Kagome cracked a wry smile despite the circumstances, "No offense, but it wasn't exactly a good time." She had learned in her fights against yokai that a few seconds could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Minerva paused before letting a small smile spread across her lips. "Maybe not, but since you first appeared on Gaia I have needed to speak with you. This is possibly the only chance I had to warn you that you must return to Earth quickly."

"I want to go home!" Kagome defended, "I didn't mean to travel here! I wanted to go to the Feudal era!"

The goddess shrugged her shoulders lightly, and waved her hand carelessly. "It does not matter why or how you came to our world. All that matters is that you return to your planet. Your spirit is dwindling and being replaced by our energy. The Kagome of Earth will soon cease to be if you do not return to your home."

Kagome hugged herself, her stomach twisting. Cease to be? "W-what does that mean?"

Minerva sighed heavily, "Your spirit is not of this planet. The Lifestream sees it as wrong, and every time you use Materia, it changes a little bit more of your energy to that of Gaia's spirit. The only way to do this is to use that of the greatest concentration of Lifestream energy. Myself."

"That's why it hurts why I use it…" Then, when she used her own spiritual powers, her Miko spirit was trying to put it right.

"Exactly. If you continue to use the Materia, or even stay on this planet for very long, you will lose Earth's spirit and become something akin to the Cetra."

"And that'll kill me?" Kagome guessed.

"As I said, you will fundamentally change. You will no longer wield powers of Earth, but of Gaia."

Even after hearing that, Kagome relaxed a bit. "It won't kill me though, right? Won't it reverse when I get home?"

Minerva frowned, "There is a strong possibility not. It may be because you are on Gaia, but Gaia's spirit is far stronger than the spirit you currently possess. If you return home after your spirit is converted, your soul will be lost, unable to return to your planet, and unable to return to the Lifestream. Leaving both planets forever weakened, and the spirit you posses to die."

( )

"Curaga!" Kagome gasped at the sensation of her skin mending back together, quickly easing the pain that had resonated from her back. Before her mind could comprehend the change in scenery, Sephiroth had grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet.

"What happened?" she whispered, her mind reeling from the sudden change. However, when she saw the bubbling mass of flesh in front of them emitting a dark light and green-black ooze flowing slowly from it, she knew what had happened. She had lost the Shikon Jewel to the monster.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Sephiroth said. "What was necklace made of?"

"The Shikon jewel…" she moaned. "This is so not good." Maybe she could purify the monster before the transformation was complete…

She removed Sephiroth's hand from her arm, and attempted to approach the beast but the green-black ooze emanated a fine dark mist that burned her throat and skin wherever it touched. She quickly stepped back to Sephiroth's side, coughing harshly until another cure spell lifted the burn.

"What's the Shikon jewel?" He touched her face, making her look up at his eyes. Like he had suspected, there was a hint of green to whites of her eyes. He searched his deep pockets and handed her an antidote. "Drink this."

Frowning, she drank the contents of the small bottle without a question. She about gagged from the taste, which was worse than some of the medicinal remedies Hojo had brought for her multiple faux illnesses. "Gah, what was that?"

"Antidote, the monster is poisonous." He frowned as he drew his eyes away from Kagome. "It should be dead though, why is it still creating poisonous fumes?"

"It's not dead, it's changing," Kagome answered. "The Shikon jewel can grant yokai, and I guess monsters, incredible strength and powers. I have to get the jewel back and purify it."

Sephiroth looked between her and the very unappealing bubbling mass of flesh. When he had planned an invasion of the Shinra tower, this was not one of the possibilities he had planned for. Of course, every plan he had made concerning Kagome seemed to fly out the window ever since she was found in the fields of Wutai. "Once everything settles, we are having a conversation and you are telling me everything," he said, looking over at Kagome sternly.

"I told you the truth before," she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Yes, but I thought you were insane before," he admitted, smirking lightly as surprise crossed her face. The surprise melted into a smile as she realized that he was finally convinced that she had been telling the truth. However, the moment was short lived as the flesh started to writhe, and a form started to take shape.

Suddenly an arm shot out of the beast as its form settled. It looked a lot like it had before, but three times bigger with a fine green poisonous mist seeping out of its pores. Sephiroth quickly blocked the long skinny arm that had lunged towards them, and quickly twisted the Masamune so the thin blade sliced through its flesh. The severed appendage spasm and flopped on the floor.

Kagome made the mistake of assuming it was harmless, and pulled back on the string of her bow, wrapping the arrow tightly in power. But before she could let it fly the arm twitched to life and lunged toward Kagome. Her bow and arrow dropped to the floor as the hand wrapped tightly around her neck, gripping her throat with enough force to close her airway. She fell to her knees, her hands wrapped around the arm, trying her best to pry away from her throat.

Sephiroth had been sparring with the thick arm, which was near impossible to slice, the Masamune was only able to create shallow wounds that healed as quickly as they were inflicted. However, when Kagome's bow clattered to the floor, he paused to look back at the Miko and froze when he saw her struggling with the creature's arm. A strong wave of rage and the urge to protect her washed over him, giving him an even stronger determination and rush of strength to tear Hojo's creation asunder. He cast a strong blizzard spell on the beast, not waiting to watch the ice encase it before rushing towards Kagome's side.

Kagome didn't notice the SOLDIER's display of power, her vision was darkening as he lungs burned for air and her mind became cloudy. She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus despite the encroaching threat of unconsciousness. This thing was virtually another yokai empowered by the Shikon Jewel. If she could defeat Naraku, then she could defeat this thing and take back her jewel easily!

She focused her spiritual powers into her hands, imagining it seeping into the monster as she had been taught. The tight grip loosened as the pink glow gave way to a sea green color as the arm dissolved into the air. She gasped greedily for air, taking in deep breaths to sooth away the burn and clear the fog of her mind. It wasn't until a few seconds had passed before she noticed she had been staring at the hem of Sephiroth's black leather coat only a few inches away from her. The SOLDIER was on the defensive, blocking each attempted strike by the monster, and the minions it had summoned sometime while she was struggling with its detached arm.

Which, to her dismay, had grown back.

Guilt and embarrassment ate at her as Sephiroth continued to defend her. She had done this to help, yet all she had done it seemed was make things worse. Not only was almost killed by the monster twice, but because she hadn't guarded the Shikon jewel close enough, had revived it and made it ten times stronger. She had to prove to Sephiroth that she was stronger than this. That he hadn't made the wrong decision in letting her come along.

"Step back!" she warned Sephiroth, who quickly took a few steps away from the monster before she summoned power from the Materia, despite Minerva's warning ringing in her ears. Kagome put her whole strength in casting the fire spell, causing a wide pillar of fire erupted from the floor beneath the monster, consuming it completely. She changed from the fire Materia to the blizzard Materia, letting the fire die down before a large block of ice formed above it. The pain in her chest welled up, worse than ever, but she pushed through it, too determined to prove herself.

The monster stumbled from the spell, and fell to the floor. Kagome dashed out from behind Sephiroth, dodging his arm that reached out to grab her. Channeling her Miko powers through her arrows was not enough. The spiritual power was refreshing but yet draining as she pulled it from her soul and into her hands. She didn't flinch as she encountered the poison mist, but placed her hands directly on the monster.

The monster screamed in pain from the holy power flooding through it. Just like its arm before it, the power ripped the monster apart, pink power turning green as it disappeared, leaving a darkened Shikon jewel resting innocently on the floor.

( )

"For Gaia's sake, Genesis! Does the word overkill mean _anything _to you?" Angeal was on the verge of yelling as he looked at the gaping hole left by the golden dragon summon. The entire north wall had been demolished for at least two stories, and he didn't want to think about what that meant for the structural integrity of the building. On a possibly good note, there was absolutely no sign of their adversaries.

"It means fun, my friend," Genesis had a lazy smile on his face as he admired his handy work.

"Fun? _Fun?"_ Angeal had to close his eyes and count to ten several times. He had often wondered how mentally stable his best two friends were. Sanity was always questionable with Genesis since he was a young boy, but he thought Sephiroth had been mentally stable, if not emotionally stunted. Yet, on his command, they had all but destroyed the majority of the MP and Infantrymen troops, and had convinced a good portion of SOLDIER to desert their post.

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting," Genesis quoted with a delighted sigh. "Do you think Kagome could be a harbinger of the Goddess? The war continues on with no end in sight, and now Shinra will be crippled."

"All three of you are insane," Angeal griped, still fighting back the ensuing headache. "You're insane. Sephiroth's insane. And Kagome's more than likely insane."

Genesis chuckled slightly, "Then you must be insane yourself, my friend."

"Probably." The black haired SOLDIER sighed. Well, at least they had nothing to stop them from helping out their comrades…

And he was in good company, after all.

He regretted his previous thought as a low-pitched groan reverberated through the lobby. The whole place shook, the glass shattering as the whole Shinra building started to lean towards the north wall. "Retreat!" He yelled to the other SOLDIERs, who quickly followed his orders. Except Genesis, of course. The two friends shared a look, Angeal's frown conveying a message that was answered as Genesis lifted his sword, the red summon Materia glinting from an inner light.

"Even if the morrow is barren of promise, nothing shall forestall my return." The quote sent a subtle smirk to Angeal's lips before he rushed after the SOLDIERs. Genesis smiled as well as he caressed his sword, the ancient runes flaring to his call.

Now it was his turn to be the hero.


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/n: Well, the people who wanted the story right away won out. So here is the possibly last chapter until around late August to September. But I will return with chapter 12, and hopefully the story will have more regular updates after I get settled in my job. (It's strange, but I look forward to working a job, with no hassle of homework, working my muscles, mind, and taking care of my people...)

Something to note about this chapter. What initially was just going to be one scene in the chapter became the whole chapter. I didn't believe the word count when I was finished say I was already the 2,000 mark. IT WAS ONE SCENE! Wow, a first for me.

Anyways, I wanted to talk about our favorite Loveless obsessed SOLDIER. I blame the banter between him and Sephiroth to, of all things, a marathon of Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis. I don't know why exactly, but watching Jack and Daniel, along with Sheppard and McKay, I sort of channeled that rival/brotherly bond into these two. It wasn't until I was reading some Inuyasha fiction that I realized 'wait, Sephiroth and Genesis…. Is acting like Inuyasha and Kouga.' Hopefully I'm not reading some wonderfully written badfic and there is some similarity between the two, er, four, here. Truthfully, I did not mean to have the two argue for that long, but the characters decided that they like witty banter. I wanted to move along but the argument kept going on and on.

Uh, yes, when I write I see the chapter in my mind like a rough cartoon, and just type what I imagine. Yes, I already know I'm crazy, thank you.

Okay, so we pick up some more Kagome and Sephiroth goodness in this chapter, and we WILL have even more in the next chapter. Also, I want your guys opinion (and no I'm not doing this to get more reviews because I'm a review hoarder! Whatever gave you ever get _that_ idea….) There's a place in next chapter where it would be a wonderful place to use one small tiny Japanese word. Hai. Simple, I think everyone knows it means yes, even people living under boulders. Now, I tend not to like multi-language stories. And I probably won't use many more (if any ) in this story. One, I don't know Japanese, two, it sometimes puts me off. I'll be reading a wonderful story, but the constant use of Japanese and English combined will make me so confused and I'll have no clue what they're saying, I stop reading the story. One of the biggest factors as a writer and reader, for me, is the flow of the story. I don't want to have to stop to look up what they're saying. Which is hypocritical of me considering in my OC FFX story I use Al Bhed sparingly. (This fic is The Man in the Red Coat, just in case anyone wants to know… Under the pen name Boredom Queen of Insanity. That was not shameless self promotion…)

However, the scene I'm talking about has Kagome flustered and tired, and she does normally speak Japanese so… yeah. Hai or no? (sorry… I couldn't resist!)

Wow, I ranted there a bit, didn't I? Sorry! And sorry if it offended anyone, I don't mean to lecture other writers unless they transgress my unforgivable lines. That is: Improper respect of language ( Kai said."OMG u r such a lozer" Nikki cried "O No I h8 my life Ill kill myself") and blatant misuse of medical information. I can't help it, I've gotten it drilled into my mind I have to correct people. I forget that others don't know stuff like sterile procedure and such.

ANYWAYS on to the story. Really, I should just post my author notes at LJ and direct people there if they want to read them.

**~(Chapter Eleven)~**

Kagome plucked the deceptive purple gem off the floor, feeling a bit better as the Shikon jewel became its usual light pink color as soon as she purified it with the little strength she had remaining. The chain was covered in stuff she rather not think about and latched it around her neck anyways. She froze as she felt Sephiroth gently moving her hair out from underneath the chain, his gloved fingers brushing the nape of her neck slightly, causing a slight tingle rush through her body. There was indefinable expression in his eyes when she looked back at him, her heart pounding. Whether from the fight or from him she wasn't exactly sure.

The moment was broken as suddenly the electricity cut out; killing even the emergency lights as the whole place suddenly lurched. Kagome felt a strong arm wrap around her waist as the room tilted sharply, which held her in place instead of sliding like everything else in the room. If it was another time, she would have been more surprised at the fact Sephiroth's eyes were glowing brightly in the darkness, the only source in the room. However, at the moment she was more worried about surviving than the strange little tidbit, and filed it away as Sephiroth guided her through the darkness. She couldn't see anything but a few inches in front of her, but trusted him explicitly. After all, he worked here, right?

It wasn't a few minutes before the building rested from its movement, but something told the Miko that it would only be a temporary rest. They had to find Ifalna, and fast. Sephiroth seemed to understand that as well, as she hurried her as quickly as she could move with his arms still tightly wrapped around her waist.

He let go only when they came to a door that blocked their path. Sephiroth dug his fingers into the small edge, and forced the electronic door to slide open. He had to get both women out of their safely! He rushed into the small corridor of the specimen lab, his ear attentive to any noise. He could Kagome's light steps behind him, and the very low pitch of the building groaning, but there was nothing else in the silence. "Ifalna?" he called out, but there was no call coming from the dozen or so specimen chambers, no footfalls, or even a quiet rustle. The fingers of fear which he had fought against hard started to finally win their struggle and grip his heart as he went to each door, prying them open and scanning the bare chambers before moving on to the next.

"She isn't here?" she asked quietly, looking blindingly up at him. He didn't understand, the company policy was to not to evacuate the specimens in emergencies. He knew that well from when he was a boy. But had they gone against the rules and evacuated her like everyone else? Had he led his comrades and Kagome into battle for no reason?

He looked down at the young woman by his side, who had wrapped her hand lightly around his. He realized that she wasn't like him, and couldn't see in the dark as he could thanks to the mako treatments, and he gripped her hand slightly. "Hojo must have moved her," he affirmed with a slight snarl. "… I'm sorry for leading you into this."

To his surprise, she smiled gently. "It's alright, there's no need to be sorry. At least we know now she isn't here, and focus our search on other places."

Our search. _Our_. The words surprised him, but only for a second as the structure started to groan more, hinting that it was about to collapse even further. He forced himself to focus on their situation and not the way the strange woman was getting past his barriers with ease, or the fear that Ifalna could be almost anywhere in the world now. He would deal with those and other thoughts such has _why_ the building was failing (for some reason, he had a suspicion that Genesis was to blame) later. He had to find an escape route before the building went crashing down onto the plate below.

Could the plate even withstand the building collapsing on to it, or would it fail and send the unlucky sector into the slums below?

The north side had been damaged, and judging from the tilt of the floor it was unlikely that the elevators were usable, and the stairs… probably not safe, but it was their only choice. Even though that there was no question Kagome was trusting and able to endure a lot, he doubted she would last a jump from the 60th floor. Unknown to him, Kagome had fallen farther than a 60ths story floor, and had trusted Inuyasha when he jumped from heights that rivaled the Shinra building. However, the escape plan was far from her mind as she tried to remember any detail on their way up that could help them.

The building started to slowly bend even more, the grumble of stone and metal reverberating through the room. Who knew how much longer there was until it completely gave out? "Come on," Sephiroth said quietly, tugging her hand slightly as he led her back towards the stairs. Half way across the floor, a bland ringtone cut through the silence, sounding out of place as the pair paused. Kagome gave the silver haired man a strange look, which went unnoticed in darkness. "Yes?" he sniped as soon as he opened the flip phone before grabbing Kagome's hand and continuing through the dark hallway.

"Where are you?" came Genesis' lazy question, loud enough Kagome could hear.

"60th floor," Sephiroth answered shortly. "This better be important Rhapsodos."

"Just stay away from the east wall for a moment." The ginger haired SOLDIER ended the call. Having an inkling about what the other 1st class SOLDIER was planning, Sephiroth pulled Kagome into a secured office near the middle of the floor.

"Seph," Kagome started, but her question was cut off as a loud explosion rocked the place. Out of reflex Kagome ducked down, covering her head as shrapnel cut through the walls of the office. "What in the world…!" she yelled as the dust settled. Light from outside now radiated through the floor, revealing the devastation. One wall of the office had been completely blown away, along with a good portion of another, revealing everything between them and the far exterior wall of the building had been completely obliterated.

Kagome didn't believe her eyes at first. Floating outside the building was a shining golden dragon. All she could see was its head and parts of its chest, and its large, almost mechanical like wings. It held up its clawed hand, revealing Genesis leaning against one of its claws, which were by far longer than he was tall. "Need some help?"

"Angeal already lectured you, correct?" Sephiroth asked casually as they walked towards him.

Genesis sighed dramatically, as he stepped onto the floor. "Of course, he wouldn't be Angeal if he didn't." Sephiroth paused in front of him before slapping him upside the head. Genesis flinched slightly, and gave the man a death glare as he walked past. He quickly changed moods as he looked back at Kagome with a suave smile. "My lady," he bowed slightly and offered his hand, making Kagome blushed. Nevertheless, she accepted help stepping onto the dragon's claw, not missing the dark look on Sephiroth's face or the smug expression on Genesis' as he stood on the other side of her.

Great, just what she needed. Maybe this was a very elaborate dream caused by stress from med school. She pinched herself on the arm, unsurprised at the pain. Of course, she wouldn't be that lucky.

Her thoughts shifted as the dragon gave a loud cry before shooting into the smog filled sky. It was Genesis this time that wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her steady. It didn't quite feel right, and Kagome noticed it didn't send warm butterflies to flutter about her stomach like when Sephiroth touched her.

The dragon paused about a 100 feet above the Shinra building, and watched as the building increased in speed as it fell. "Your mother wasn't there?"

"No."

The rivalry between them eased for a moment as Genesis sent him a sympathetic look before a conspirator smile crossed his lips. "Well, that means we have an excuse to raise the rest of Hojo's laboratories."

Sephiroth sent him a dark look. "That _wasn't_ part of the plan."

Genesis just smiled him, and tightened his hold on Kagome just to further goad him. "I thought your plan needed improvement."

Kagome's eye twitched, the two were only about a few steps away from the rivalry between Inuyasha and Kouga, and she was _**not **_going to be stuck in the middle of that again. "Boys, settle down." She was firm as she moved Genesis' hand off her waist, taking a step towards the edge so that when she turned, she could face both of the properly. She placed her hands on her hips, surprising the two. "We are hundreds of feet in the air, standing on a dragon's hand after destroying that," she pointed down at the devastation below them. "I don't think right now is the time to argue about plans."

The two men paused before looking at each other, surprise on both their faces. "I like her," Genesis finally commented with a grin.

"No," Sephiroth said flatly.

"But you said she wasn't your girlfriend."

"The answer is still no."

"I don't believe you have a say in the manner."

"Are you that eager to die?"

Kagome rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying hard not to give into the urge of bashing their heads together. They weren't ones step from Inuyasha and Kouga; they were there. It was obvious the two were just like the wolf yokai and hanyou, just without throwing names around and fighting tooth and nail over her. Yet. And again, her feelings hadn't been considered. "Can we at least get to solid ground first?" she asked wearily.

The argument stopped, and the boys surveyed the damage below them. The Shinra building was little more than rubble now, spread across several sectors. "It destroyed the Loveless Avenue!" Genesis practically cried, earning a small smirk from Sephiroth. "Where can I watch Loveless? And Loveless Café was the only place that served proper Banora white pie!"

"We are enemies of Shinra," Sephiroth reminded him dryly. "And therefore, enemies of virtually the entire planet. I think your priorities are a little skewered."

Genesis glared at the general as if he had said the most offensive comment ever. For the Loveless obsessed SOLDIER, it was rather close to the truth. "'My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess.' There is nothing more important or valued than Loveless, Sephiroth. Nothing."

Kagome sighed and placed a hand on the dragon's thumb to steady herself. They were paying absolutely no attention to her, which was very familiar to the Miko. However, their argument was soon lost to her ears as a tingle started in her fingers, slowly crawling up her arm. She looked from her hand, then up to the dragon's head. One electric green eye was staring down at her, and a feeling of understanding passed between them. Kagome quickly let go of the appendage, but the feeling was still there.

It waited for orders. She didn't exactly know how she knew that, but still she felt it was waiting for her to give the command. "D-down," she whispered. Instantly the dragon gave another roar before flying down towards the plate of Midgar, away from destruction.

Both Sephiroth and Genesis were shocked, and Genesis reached for his sword, and the summon stone placed in its hilt. He was shocked when he couldn't connect with the summon. He knew he still had plenty of energy to control the summon, but it was as if the Materia did not belong to the summon anymore. Bahamut Fury was no longer under his control.

The few people still in the far part of Sector 4 scrambled as the dragon landed in the street, its form brushing against the sides of the buildings. It knelt down and placed its claw near the street, allowing the three humans to jump onto the street. Genesis tried to mentally dismiss the beast, but it stayed. "Sephiroth, he's not under my control," Genesis said quietly.

Sephiroth frowned, "What do you mean?"

Genesis looked back to his friend, dispelling any ideas this was a trick by the serious look on his face. "I cannot control him. He's no longer responding to the Materia."

Kagome bit her lip, "I think that's my fault." She didn't like the disbelieving looks on their faces, but continued. "It-he… When I touched him, something… happened. I asked him to go down, and he did."

"Dismiss him then," Genesis challenged. How could control switch when the Materia was still in his possession? It was impossible!

Yet Kagome looked back up at Bahamut, and said quietly, "You're dismissed." With one last stretch Bahamut burst into a thousand lights that shot back to the Materia in the sword. Genesis touched the glowing Materia, and felt the power under his command again.

How? How had she done that?

( )

The fate of the Shinra Building was evident in all of Midgar, including the Sector 5 slums. It sounded like a metallic howl, tremors that racked the plate above sent dust and debris falling in the slum, forcing everyone inside. Aerith stood in the kitchen of Elmyra's, trying her hardest not to cry. Seeing her flowers being ruined as junk rained down from above just made the worst day ever worse.

_Zack was panting for breath, but not one MP or Turk had gotten past the young man or the Materia-wielding flower girl behind him. Most of the MPs had retreated, but the two Turks known as Rude and Shuriken (also known as Cissnei to her friends) were stubbornly holding out, even when they were the ones worst for wear. _

_Shuriken was crouched low to the ground, her signature weapon stuck in the ground in front of her. "So, where is he?" she finally asked between breaths. _

_Zack frowned, shouldering his sword for the moment. "Where's who?"_

"_Sephiroth," Rude finished. _

_The two teens shared a look, wary about answering the question. "He's rescuing mom," Aerith finally answered quietly. "He's probably in the Science department as we speak." _

_The two Turks looked at each other. While they were adamant about doing their job, this was one side of their career they did not enjoy. "He won't find her there," Rude stated quietly, almost under his breath as he straightened his martial arts gloves. _

"_Hojo took her to Nibelheim as soon as she was captured," Cissnei supplied. "He won't find anything in the science labs."_

So now, not only had she lost her mother, but also her brother had risked-and possibly lost- his life for no reason. The Turks would probably be back whenever the commotion died down, and she had no way to leave Midgar and find peace and security.

And her flower garden was ruined. Her lip quivered as tears finally fell. _"Please, Planet, help us!"_


	13. Chapter Twelve

A/n: So, you can thank gemava for her encouragement, and my Obstetrics instructor for letting us have a take home test for this chapter being finished. And you can blame FFnet for this not being up yesterday.

Anyways, this is the required explanation chapter, unfortunately. A lot of talking here, needed for the plot. Now, I pulled all this information from the final fantasy wikia and the Inuyasha wikia. So, if it's off base, it's their faults. The conclusions and similarities are all mine, so if you're scratching your head at that, it's my fault. But hey, it's Seph and Kagome growing closer, happy bonding time!

Okay, for those of you who are like me and have a gutter mind, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't get much sleep. And I read some NCIS stuff. One word, Abby.

I got a lot of positive reviews about Bahamut's appearance, it seriously surprised me. I thought 'eh, it's a summon' because in my Final Fantasy stories, summons… well, I'm used to them. You guys have creative ideas about how Kags should bond with them and stuff. I love it, I really do! So, I might bring in more summons, like my fav, Choco/Mog! You want cute, there you go!

Just a few more notes. One, when I was writing the flashback scene, the bit before the bet is paid (you'll see what I mean) if you've watched Advent Children, picture Sephiroth using the tone of voice when he confronts Cloud when he talks to Kagome, and I guarantee it will make you giggle at least. Not the ha-ha-snort giggles, the oh-my-talk-to-me-like-that-_please_ giggles…

Er, you people are in your teens at least, right? If not, um, ignore that, please. Thank you. (And why are you reading a T rated story? Shame on you!)

Anyways, here is Chapter Twelve. Twelve, really? Wow. This marks the end of the first segment of this story. YAY! We're who-knows-how-long away from the end. And then there is a Sequel in the raw planning mode, cautiously titled 'Suteki Da Ne'. I find Final Fantasy X has a lot of similarities to this story. Sorta. If you think about it, but not too hard. And Suteki Da Ne really captures what I have planned for it.

If you're off to research that, just remember to read this chapter! I've done that and forgotten to read the chapter of a story many a time. I also recommend the orchestra version if you want to listen to it. Warning, it will tug at your heartstrings.

Dang, my notes take up nearly a page on MS office. Who all thinks I should stop typing everything I think up? Not that I expect anyone to remember this after they reach the end… ^/^ Enjoy, my awesomely fantastic readers!

**THIS IS FOR YOU!**

**~(Chapter Twelve)~**

The Gainsborough house was almost perfectly silent, except the sounds of slight snores and the sprinkle of dust and debris hitting the roof. Everyone had regrouped in Aerith's 'aunt's' home. The flower girl and Elmyra were sleeping in the main bedroom, Kagome had been given the teen's bedroom to herself, and all four SOLDIERs were sleeping downstairs. Despite exhausting herself earlier, she couldn't seem to wind down enough to fall asleep.

So much had happen in the short span of the day, she was shocked. Just this morning, she remembered being rudely waken by Genesis in Sephiroth's apartment. However, it felt like that was weeks ago. She had only been on Gaia for less than a week, yet it felt like months to her.

And it sounded like her new adventure was just beginning.

"_Now what?" Elmyra demanded. The middle age woman was short, with more gray than auburn hair on her head. However she had no problem standing up to Sephiroth, defiantly glaring at him. "Ifalna is in Nibelheim, the Turks know where Aerith is, and now the four of you are wanted by Shinra! You told me you would handle this, Sephiroth! How?" _

_If Sephiroth was bothered by her obvious mistrust, it didn't show. The silver haired man was quiet as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as he thought. _

"_We can take on the Turks!" Zack defended. "I say bring it on! We can handle them!"_

_Angeal popped the overeager teen on the back of his head. "That won't solve anything."_

"_Most of SOLDIER has deserted," Sephiroth stated, looking to Angeal for confirmation, who nodded his head. "With the Science lab destroyed, they cannot create any more SOLDIERs, so they will have to rely on MPs, Infantrymen, and Turks. Out of all of them, the Turks are the highest threat."_

"_Shinra would reassign them from their missions against Avalanche," Genesis added. "But still, there's only a few of them, and their best are busy babysitting the president and Rufus." If it had been even two days before, Angeal would have scolded him for referring to the two Shinra men like that, but now easily held his tongue._

_Sephiroth looked over to Aerith, who was nervously sitting at the table, fiddling with the cut flowers in the centerpiece. "Aerith, you still talk to your friends in Icicle Inn, correct?"_

_She looked up, blushed, and nodded. "Yeah, Henry and Karla send a letter at least once a week. Why?"_

"_Do you believe we could trust them?" He remembered how closely the small town had protected the Gast family before, could they trust them again?_

_Aerith's face turned a brighter pink. "Of-of course! You mean, I can go back there?"_

"_Shinra has no strong hold on the Northern Continent since Modeoheim failed," Angeal caught on to Sephiroth's train of thought. "It would be the perfect place to hide." _

"_And how do you plan smuggling her there?" Elmyra challenged. "It would be a miracle to get out of Midgar, let alone leave the continent!" _

_Sephiroth's lips twitched into a wry smile, "Everyone will be focused on the destruction of Shinra. The gates will be lightly guarded. Intelligence had suggested that there are people in Kalm that object to Shinra's rule, especially the fisherman."_

"_Find a fisherman, offer a little money along with a sob story…" Genesis trailed off with the wave of his hand. "Easy. Besides, who would turn down such a lovely girl?" _

_Kagome wasn't the only one rolling her eyes as Sephiroth gave the red haired man a glare. Briefly, Kagome wondered why he was constantly pointedly trying to get on Sephiroth's nerves. "Fair, I'm assigning you to guard Aerith and Elmyra."_

_The 2__nd__ class SOLDIER saluted, "Yes sir!"_

"_What about Kagome?" Angeal asked. Kagome met Sephiroth's eyes, silently questioning what he wanted her to do. She didn't want to go hide with the Aerith and Elmyra, she wanted to help rescue Ifalna. For one, she was the kind of person that couldn't sit by while someone was suffering. Two, Hojo probably was her best bet on getting home. Three… well, she didn't want to leave Sephiroth's side, but she would not be saying that aloud anytime soon. _

"_Well, that's up to her," Sephiroth said quietly, his gaze still meeting hers. He enjoyed the light blush that crossed her cheeks, and the smile that spread across her lips. _

_Zack frowned as he dug in his pocket, and handed over 20 gil to his girlfriend. Aerith grinned, knowing her instincts had been right. It was obvious to the whole room something was between those two. _

_Unaware of the bet that had been won, Kagome answered Sephiroth's question. "I told you, I want to help," she stated softly but firmly. "I want to go to Nibelheim with you." _

Now, they had a night of rest before they started on a journey to Nibelheim. She hadn't realized until afterward she didn't know _where_ Nibelheim even was. Not that it would have mattered in her decision. She would've wanted to go even if she knew before hand it was on the opposite side of the world.

She would be travelling with Sephiroth, something that warmed her heart, over the mountains in the south to a city called Junon. Zack would be heading north with Aerith and Elmyra, and Genesis and Angeal would be taking the long way around on the main road to throw off anyone that might be looking for them.

She turned from her side to her back, opening her eyes to look up at the glow-in-the-dark stars plastered to the ceiling. Would she ever be able to return home? And what about that strange… dream? Vision? Hallucination? After all she been through, she couldn't just write it off, but what exactly did it mean? She wasn't very familiar with reincarnation or with the fate of souls. She knew there was a hell and that souls were indeed reincarnated-it's what sent her to the Feudal era in the first place- but the whole process was still foreign to her. She may be a Miko, but she wanted to be a Doctor, a Pediatrician!

But would it be like, having her spirit die? Would she be aware of it? Would it hurt? What did Minerva mean by absorbing her spirit energy? And where did the planets fit into the picture?

"Gah!" she cried, putting her hand to her eyes, trying to stop the onslaught of questions. She was only winding herself when she really needed to go to sleep! A glance at the clock told her it was already well past midnight, and they were set to leave at six.

"_Maybe some tea would help." _Elmyra had made it clear that she was allowed to help herself to anything in the house. A nice warm cup of tea might calm enough she could drift off for at least a few hours.

The small hallway was darkened, but Kagome was thankful that the boards didn't creak as she quietly treaded down the stairs. The snores grew louder as she descended the stairs, proving it was the boys contently sawing logs. A small smile escaped her lips as she paused at the doorway for the living room and saw three figures on the floor, but then realized that she couldn't see a fourth. Maybe he was hiding behind the couch? She mentally shrugged as she continued towards the kitchen.

And about screamed when she saw two aquamarine cat eyes shining in the darkness. It wasn't until her eyes fully adjusted did she realized it was Sephiroth sitting at the table, giving her an amused look. She blushed, and prayed that he couldn't see it through the darkness (which, actually, he did, and thought it interesting). "There's coffee if you want it," he whispered, gesturing to the figure of a coffeepot on the counter.

"I'm looking to go to sleep," she whispered lightly. "Um, is there any tea bags?"

Sephiroth stood, and lead her to one of the cupboards. Kagome was once more reminded how different the names of food was, Krakka tea, Banora white and cinnamon spice, Black Gysahl greens, Sylkis Greens. She wilted a little as she stared at the boxes. Whatever happened to simple green tea? Or even chamomile?

Seeing her distress, Sephiroth reached up, plucked a bag from a box, and handed it to her. "This should help." He didn't understand why his voice had taken a deeper pitch, but did enjoy the deeper blush on her face. It was probably the first time he was thankful for his improved eyesight that wasn't related to battle or a mission.

It also caused his confusion to intensify. What was it about this girl that made his suppressed emotions press forward, trying their best to cloud his judgment? Part of him was angry at that fact, he needed his mind clear for the situation at hand, but he also enjoyed the feelings that he couldn't name. It was these feelings he let himself indulge in as he took his seat, and watched Kagome more-or-less stumble around the dark kitchen to prepare her tea. Already, it served a better stress-reliever than his Mideel blend coffee, letting his mind to temporarily forget the problems at hand.

If anything, Kagome was a beautiful woman. That was about all he would acknowledge of all the new emotions bubbling inside him. She was beautiful, strong, mysterious, and so far, reliable.

A few moments later, Kagome joined him at the small table, steaming mug in hand. Both couldn't help but note that the few minutes of silence wasn't stifling, but companionable. Still, it had to be broken.

"So," Kagome started quietly, "why aren't you asleep?"

"Planning," he answered simply, but continued at the curious look on her face. "There are many variables that can occur; we need to be prepared for anything that may happen." Planning a regular mission had been a challenge when he had more time and the aid of Shinra's resources, but now he had the challenge of doing this by himself. He couldn't ask Angeal and Genesis to stay up with him- they had returned from a long surveillance mission from Wutai no more than a few days ago.

At least he had the benefit of knowing how Shinra worked, unlike the guesswork it took planning missions in Wutai.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, curious. "You're not going to catch any sleep?"

Sephiroth shook his head slightly, "No. SOLDIERs should go for at least two days without sleep…" As if to contradict him, one of the men in the living room let out a loud snore. He winced as Kagome smiled with amusement. "Like I said, should be able to…. When needed." Her smile was accompanied with a light giggle that made a small smile spread across his own lips. "And yourself?"

The smiled lingered on her lips as she stared down at the steaming mug. "Couldn't sleep. I'm still running high on adrenaline after our adventure."

Sephiroth paused, debating his next words. He needed to know if she would be able to continue on their journey without becoming more of a hindrance than an asset, but for a change he _did_ care if his words offended someone. Never before had he wanted to be careful with his word choice. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked softly, studying her face for any sign that he had hurt her. Seeing none, he continued, "This will require more endurance than the raid of the Shinra Building, and we won't have much in the way of rations."

To his relief, Kagome nodded her head. "I can do this. Believe me; I'm not new to the whole walking-across-the-country thing."

That brought up a brand new subject, which he had ignored but hadn't forgotten. "You did say you would tell me where you are from."

"That's a long story," she warned. "I'm… just figuring things out myself." He quirked an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat, prompting her to explain. Kagome sighed, knowing that she probably wasn't going to get much sleep anyways. "I come from a place called Tokyo, it's a city in Japan… On planet Earth."

Instead of disbelief and an unspoken question of her sanity, there was only curiosity on Sephiroth's face. "You mean to say, you're from a different planet?"

"Either that, or I've been flung far into the future." She didn't want to bring up the vision/hallucinated conversation with Minerva.

"How?"

Of course he would ask that. She bit back another sigh and decided to give him the full, unbelievable, truth. "My family own a shrine, and on our property is an old well, we call it the Bone Eater's well. Ever since I was 15, I can travel about 500 years into the past, thanks to the Shikon Jewel." She fingered the pink jewel on her necklace, rubbing the cracks where the three shards were missing. Two for Kouga, one for Kohaku.

If he hadn't seen how the jewel had changed the monster, Sephiroth wouldn't have believed it. "If that is not Materia, what is it?" What kind of powers did it hold? When he had first noticed it back in Wutai, he had written it off as something decorative, but he had noticed the way she was always touching it, guarding it.

"It's the Shikon Jewel," she shrugged, struggling to find words to explain it. "Shikon roughly translates into four souls, which are courage, friendship, wisdom, and love. A priestess, Midoriko, manage to achieve a perfect balance of these four, and gained great spiritual strength from it. During a battle with a yokai…"

"Yokai?" Sephiroth interrupted her.

Kagome bit her lip, that was even harder to explain. There wasn't a word in English that she knew of that really explained what yokai were. "Beings that are… supernatural. Some are… friendly," she said, thinking of Shippo and Kirara, "Some not so much," like Inuyasha and Kouga on a bad day when all she wanted to do was bash their skulls together to make them see reason, "and there are some who are just pure… evil." Naraku.

"And this one was evil?" Sephiroth asked, and Kagome nodded.

"Very evil, and very powerful. After a week of non-stop fighting, Midoriko realized that she wouldn't be able to win. So she drew out the yokai's spirit and bound it with her own. It killed both of them, and created the jewel. Inside, their spirits are still fighting, and the battle is influenced by whoever holds the jewel. If a person with evil in their hearts wields it, the yokai spirit is stronger. When one with pure soul holds it, Midoriko is stronger."

Sephiroth was quiet for a long moment as he absorbed the information and tried to make sense of it. From what she had said, the Shikon jewel wasn't unlike Materia. "Materia is condensed Lifestream, with the knowledge of the Ancients inside, and allow the user to use the knowledge to control the elements, the summons, even the Lifestream itself."

Kagome looked to his shoulder guards, where a few Materia rested in their slots. "That explains why they're so alike." And it made the conversation with Minerva a little bit more believable. Materia was a channel from her to the Lifestream. She frowned as she rubbed her chest slightly. It still ached, as if something had a hold on her heart preventing it from working properly. What was she going to do? Give in and stay here? She couldn't do that, she had too many things waiting for her at home. Her family, her friends, her career, plus the Shikon jewel wasn't yet complete. The Shikon jewel would never be destroyed if she didn't return home.

What would happen to poor Kohaku without someone to keep the shard pure? And what would happen if a strong yokai –or multiple yokai!- got their hands on those three shards. Sure, Inuyasha and others could defeat the yokai, but the shards would still be there, just waiting for another yokai to find them. It would be an unending cycle.

"Kagome." She jumped slightly, her heart racing as she looked around before becoming embarrassed as she realized she had spaced off. "I think you need to sleep," Sephiroth said after a moment.

"Yeah," she muttered. She knew she needed sleep, but wasn't sure if it would ever come tonight. Still, she should at least try. Kagome stood up, and stretched before a yawn escaped unbidden. The concern on Sephiroth's face eased and a small smirk took its place as Kagome blushed. Her blush didn't leave as Sephiroth stood and stepped closer to her.

It seemed like time had slowed for both of them as Sephiroth's ungloved hand reached up to brush back stray strands of her dark hair. Kagome was sure that her heart was about to stop right then and there. Never had she felt like this when she had been with Hojo, Kouga, or even Inuyasha. It was difficult to describe; warmth spread from her face all the way down to her toes; there was an excited tingle where Sephiroth's fingers linger on her cheek, and her whole body seemed to be aware how close he was to her.

She wondered what was going through his mind as his eyes studied her carefully, an uncertain look on his face. The indecision on his part spurred her to make a move. She stepped just a little bit closer before leaning up to press a gentle kiss on his lips. It really couldn't be a called a kiss, it was too light and quick, but it was enough for Sephiroth to make up his mind. Only a half second passed after she drew away before he cupped her face and brought her lips back to hers for a much longer kiss. Her eyes closed as she carefully returned the kiss, her hands resting on his chest to steady herself before one of Sephiroth's hands wrapped around to support her back and pull her even closer. The kiss wasn't very deep, but the feel of his lips gently caressing hers was enough to make her heart pound.

And damn if he wasn't a good kisser. Definitely better than any other she had before.

All too soon in her opinion, Sephiroth pulled away. She took a few deep breaths before she opened her eyes, meeting his and enjoying the fact his normally tightly controlled expression now seemed… affectionate. There was little doubt in her mind that the chemistry between them was not one sided. How far it would go was an entirely different story.

"Good night, Kagome," he said softly. It took her a moment to register what he said before remembering she had been in the process of returning to her bed.

"Hai," she muttered, slipping into her native tongue and blushing as he quirked a curious eyebrow. "I mean yes. Yes. Um, thank you." It took all she had to turn and force herself to leave the kitchen, able to hear a deep chuckle when she reached the stairs.

Sleep was not going to come easy tonight, if at all.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**A/n: **What's this, I'm alive?

Yes. Yes I am. I'm finished with College (for the next couple years at least, may go back for my RN some day). And I'm waiting to take my Boards. Which should be sometime this month.

And with classes behind me, I should have more time for writing, which means not having to wait months for a chapter. Yay! But I'll warn you know, I'm focusing not only on Otherworld, but my FFX The Man in the Red Coat, and the FFVII drabble-story Subtle, which will be posted later on.

Anyways, you don't care about that. You're here for the story. Unfortunately, this chapter turned out to be complete filler. A glimpse into Kagome's (and Sephy's) mind following the kiss. And of course, Gen insisted having a part. Maybe I need to switch the summary to Sephiroth/Kagome/Genesis. Yes/No?

* * *

**~(Chapter Thirteen)~**

Kagome thankfully sat down under the shade of a tree, slipping off her socks and shoes before soaking her aching feet in the cool mountain stream. It was late afternoon, with the sun starting to set behind the mountains, and this was the first break they had taken since they left Midgar around dawn. She understood why Sephiroth was determined to reach the Junon-Midgar mountain range before the rest. The area around Midgar had nowhere to hide; it had been a barren wasteland. It had been a while since she had seen something so unsettling.

The strange thing was she couldn't place why it unsettled her so much. Sure, there hadn't been a single blade of grass, and no sign of life except for bandits and strange monsters. But why had it made her feel ill?

She shook her head, clearing her own thoughts. It was probably just the combination of not enough sleep, the heat, and periodically using Materia during battles messing with her mind. Plus the fact her emotions were running high after last night. She had tried to forget about the kiss, she wasn't even sure it hadn't been a dream. She had been so tired, and Sephiroth…

Well, Sephiroth was still Sephiroth. Surely, he would have said something by now had something happen, right?

Maybe she was just over thinking it. Maybe it had been just a goodnight kiss her mind blown completely out of context. However, she wasn't sure how she could even dream of a kiss like that. But then, maybe that's how they did things on Gaia.

Ugh, this was so confusing!

Kagome suddenly froze when she felt a sharp metal point rest dangerous at the nape of her neck. Relaying partly on training and partly on instinct she let her Miko energy loose without any attempt to focus it. The resulting blast was enough to faze her attacker long enough to jump to her feet, retreating half way into the stream before turning, ready to fight.

Only to find Sephiroth standing on the shore, an amused expression on his face. Her fight-or-flight response dwindled as her anger rose. "What was that for?" she demanded as she crossed her arms.

"Making sure you were paying attention." There was a smirk on his face as he lowered the Masamune. "There are many monsters, human and non-human. You need to be on alert at all times."

"I know," she defended, relaxing slightly. "I just needed to think some things over." The amused expression on his face diminished into a cold, stoic look.

"Being distracted on a mission can have serious consequences." With that, he turned and started to trek deeper into the woods surrounding the stream. With his long strides, Kagome had to jog to grab her socks, shoes, and the overstuffed backpack filled with 'everything you should need' according to Elmyra. (Apparently, her late husband had been a part of the military, and she never forgot how to pack a mission bag. Still, she missed her large yellow bag, and wondered where it had disappeared to, along with her old bow she had been given by Kaede.)

The bottom of her feet complained as she treaded across sharp sticks and rocks, but Sephiroth showed no signs of slowing down. What was with him? One minute he's being… well, playful was too strong of a word but it was really the only one that seemed to fit, the next minute it's like he's purposefully trying to lose her. "Sephiroth!" she finally complained after stepping on a particularly jagged rock. "Would you at least slow down!"

To her surprise, he stopped completely and paused for a long moment before turning towards her. His face was still cold and unexpressive, which worried her. She took a quick second to slip back on her socks and shoes before confronting him, just in case he felt like storming off again. "Now," she started off as calmly as she could, "will you tell me what's bothering you?"

He was silent as he glanced up at the sky for just a second. "We should reach the caves before sunset. Most of the monsters here are nocturnal by nature, and Shinra will attempt to use heat-sensing equipment to find us." Kagome was tempted to toss something at him when he turned and continued with his insanely wide strides. Instead, she adjusted her backpack and started after him in a light jog. She really didn't want to be caught by either Shinra or monsters. She was already tired, and knew she needed a nice long break from using the Materia to let that uncomfortable feeling in her chest fade a little. She had been trying to use manly her arrows and her Miko powers, but there were some advantages of using thunder spells against the rouge machines known as Custom Sweepers, and the Cure Materia had proved indispensible.

That, and she was finding it hard not to use the Summon Materia Genesis had slipped her when he had kissed her goodbye. On the cheek, thankfully. She didn't want to imagine what kind of fight would have ensued if the ginger haired man hand kissed her frankly on the lips. She still had that feeling most of Genesis' actions were solely to antagonize Sephiroth. Once again, she wondered why it was her luck to be caught in that sort of situation.

Sephiroth watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye, and slowed down when she started to fall behind too much for his liking. To be fair, she was able to keep pace with him through the day far better than he expected, and proved yet again to be helpful rather than a hindrance. Not many others, especially those who weren't SOLDIER operatives, could do that.

Even with that, he knew it had been the wrong thing to allow her to accompany them on this mission. Yes, she was strong. Yes, he had little doubt that she could do this. Nevertheless, she was distracted. _She_ was a distraction. And distractions were the worst things when it came to missions. How many missions had failed because the operatives were distracted? How many mission had he almost failed because he had been distracted.

And out of all his missions in his life, this was the most important. If this failed, not only was Ifalna's life at stake, but so was Aerith's, Elmyra's, Zack's, Angeal's, Genesis', and Kagome's.

Sephiroth paused at the mouth of the small cave. He already made a mistake by letting her come because of these _emotions_ were indeed clouding his mind, how many more would he make? How many more could they afford?

"What happened here?" Kagome asked as she climbed over the last ridge, and saw the mess spilling out from the cave. Supplies, weapons, clothes, armor, Materia, all of it burnt or at least singe.

"Until three months ago, this was a stronghold for Wutai spies." He bent over, picked something up, and tossed it to Kagome. "The Mythril in these mountains will scramble any type of radar. We'll be safe for the night."

She watched as he disappeared into the cave before glancing down at the small glass bottle, filled with a light blue liquid. An Ether, if she remembered right. Genesis had dragged her away while Sephiroth was talking with Aerith and Zack, and had given her a brief lesson about Potions, Ethers, and Phoenix Downs.

"_Ethers restore your magical energy," the red haired man said while holding up one of the small bulbous bottles. "Just to warn you, they are sickeningly sweet and sticky. If you have a few to spare, they're quite fun to pour into shampoo bottles." There was an impish smile on his face, leading Kagome to believe he had done so at least a couple times. _

_Before she could say something, he placed the bottle into her jacket's pocket (the jacket had been provided by Aerith, it was white with red triangles bordering the hood, arms, bottom, and the zipper) before he took another bottle out of his own pocket. "This is a Potion. If you can't use Cure, this is your best option. Unlike Ether, this doesn't taste too bad, but it does stain clothes yellow if you spill it." _

"_I don't think I want to know how you know that," she said lightly as she intercepted his hand and put the elongated bottle into her pocket herself. _

"_It's a shame SOLDIER uniforms comprise mostly of black." He grinned at her slyly. "But there is always Sephiroth's and Angeal's casual shirts." Despite herself, Kagome found herself smiling at the thought. Her smile faded as Genesis reached into his coat and pulled out a small glass box, no bigger than a credit card. Inside the box was a red and golden feather._

_And it was glowing. _

"_This is a Phoenix Down," the humor had led Genesis as he placed the box in Kagome's hand. "Keep this in a safe place, but always have it on hand."_

_The box felt warm in Kagome's hand, like a stone that had been under the summer's sun all day. "What does it do?" _

"_Don't tell me you never heard of a Phoenix?" There was a disbelieving look on his face, causing Kagome to blush._

"_Of course I have, but they don't actually exist!" she defended, "Are you telling me this feather…?"_

"_Is a feather of the Phoenix." Genesis nodded, "They're extremely rare, no one knew I had one. If you ever are knocked out, or worse, it'll revive you. But it only works once." _

_Kagome clutched it tightly before putting it into the secret inner pocket in her jacket. "Thank you, Genesis." She offered him a smile, which he returned. He glanced over to where Sephiroth had been talking to Aerith and Zack. Out of reflex, she looked over to see Sephiroth looking towards them. His expression changed from calm to annoyed when Genesis leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on Kagome's exposed cheek, one hand placed on her hip._

"_Have fun," Genesis whispered in her ear as he placed another object into her pocket before retreating when Sephiroth stormed towards them. _

( )

The good thing about fire Materia was it needed nothing but a small, steady amount of power to light the cave and provide warmth as the cold mountain night settled in, and there was no smoke to let give away their position. The mess that was spread outside continued inside, and it had taken some work to clear an area large enough for a small campsite. To Kagome's relief, there were only supplies and no remains left over from whatever skirmish happened here. She couldn't count how many times in the Feudal Era they had come across old battlefields filled with dead bodies, and she had never gotten used to the sight or smell.

Across from her sat Sephiroth, his sword in his lap as he cleaned the blade. While Kagome's eyes were focused on the blade, her mind had retreated to her earlier thoughts.

She had to know what happened that night, and how Sephiroth felt about it. How he felt about her.

Deciding that was easy, actually asking the SOLDIER was another. She wasn't shy per se; it was just a rather… awkward question to ask. _"You know that kiss last night? What exactly did it mean to you? Because honestly, I find you really attractive and I would love to kiss you again and maybe go a step farther…."_

… Okay, she was officially way too tired to think rationally. As if to prove her point, a yawn suddenly escaped her mouth, and she felt a blush cross her cheeks when Sephiroth looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

"I think I should go to bed," she said with a guilty smile. Sephiroth merely nodded his head before returning to his sword. Even though Kagome didn't really expect anything, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She sighed as she grabbed the rolled up blanket to use as a pillow; she didn't need a blanket thanks to the warmth of the fire Materia.

She would deal with everything in the morning. She would confront Sephiroth and figure out what exactly was going on between them, and not let it go unresolved. Sephiroth had been right, being distracted would only cause problems.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**A/n**: I. Hate. This. Chapter.

I have struggled with this chapter and I finally decided 'Aw, foo with it. I'm posting it and moving on!' If anyone has any ideas how to improve this, go ahead and send me a message.

On a different note, I'm not a 100% sure about the link between Kagome and Kikyo. I did some serious wiki hopping and read some other Fanfiction and decided it wasn't _too _far-fetched. However, like I said, it's been a while since I watched Inuyasha, so those otaku out there, feel free to give your two-cents!

Also, SOLDIER was noted in Crisis Core to love fighting. Of course, this was stated by Aerith, and might have been anti-Shinra propaganda, but if the boot fits… I'm not saying they have a high bloodlust, I'm just saying they like to fight. I could go off on a whole tangent here, but for the sake of these notes being longer than the chapter, I won't.

As for the Zolom… well, I'll explain that at the end, where there is also a little tidbit offered as an apology for such a… unsatisfactory chapter.

* * *

**~(Chapter Fourteen)~**

A dense fog surrounded the Feudal village, but it didn't stop the villagers from going about their business. For some reason, Kagome couldn't focus on the bland figures walking the dirt paths, but for the same reason she didn't seem to care. All she was intent on was Shippo and Sango's and Miroku's nameless child playing tag in front of her, with Kohaku and Rin watching over the younger children like older siblings.

"They miss you." Kagome should have been surprised when Kikyo suddenly appeared beside her, but she wasn't. "Where have you gone, and what are you doing? Do not forget that we share the same soul. I feel your spirit is changing, becoming something… different."

"Kagome…"

Kagome frowned, trying to focus on the Miko beside her while something else was teasing her mind, like she was forgetting something. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here… aren't I?"

Kikyo's expressionless face formed a small frown. "Not quite. We are between here and wherever you are. You are not in your time, nor in ours. Where are you?"

"Wake up!"

"Sephiroth?" Kagome stood, surprised by the name that slipped off her tongue. "What's going on?" The fog grew denser, creeping quickly into the village. Kikyo grabbed her arm tightly as the forms of the children were hidden by the fog.

"Do not wake up," Kikyo commanded sternly. "You are changing, Kagome. We must figure out what is happening to you. To us."

"Gaia." Kagome turned towards Kikyo, "I don't know how, or why, but I'm on Gaia."

The older Miko frowned, "I have never heard of that place before."

Kagome couldn't resist a small wistful smile, "I'm not surprised. You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Just know I am working on a way to come home." Before Kikyo could say anything, the ground beneath their feet shook. Once more Kikyo's hand shot out to grab Kagome, but it was too late. It was as if someone had tackled her, sending her to the ground.

Or rather, roll over a few times and stop with something jabbing her in the back and Sephiroth laying on top of her. "Ow," she groaned, still trying to orient herself. Sephiroth, check. Cave, check. Wreckage everywhere- currently digging into her back, so check. Giant snake, check.

Wait a second…

"Now you're awake," Sephiroth muttered with an undeniable sarcastic tone. Drawing her attention back to him. "Midgar Zolom. It's neither immune nor weak to anything. Watch out for its tail. Ready?"

Her eyes widened as she looked back at the snake. The thing was huge, and thankfully it seemed dazed at the moment. She could see where the Masamune had sliced its face, leaving a trickle of bright red blood on its green scales."What? No!"

There was a small smirk on his face, "Well that's too bad." He quickly jumped to his feet. That seemed to snap the Zolom out of its daze. It hissed, baring its fangs that rivaled Kagome in height. Sephiroth swung the Masamune at just the right second to catch the snake's fangs as it tried to lunged towards the SOLDIER. "Kagome, go!" Sephiroth yelled as the Zolom retreated slightly. She could almost see its mind trying to figure out how to get past the large sword to devour both of them.

Shocked into action, Kagome looked around, searching for her bow and arrows. She quickly saw them, and moaned. They were currently being crushed against the stones and the snake's long body as it slithered out from the depths of the cave. "My bow!"

"Use your magic!" he snapped back, adjusting his grip on the Masamune slightly before rushing the monster. The Zolom raised its head as far as it could, which wasn't much due to the cramped confines of the cave, in an attempt to get out of the SOLDIER's reach. It didn't work. The sword cut through its hide with little problem, creating a gash that ran length wise from one side of the monster's neck to the other. Unfortunately, even that didn't seem to faze the monster. It lunged again, but its target wasn't its attacker, but Kagome.

Instinct was the only thing that saved Kagome as she dived to the floor just in time as the snake's head sailed over her. Without thinking, she summoned magic from the Materia still equipped in her armlet, and created an ice pillar to keep the snake's body from crushing her. The ice sliced through the Zolom's body, but lasted only long enough for Kagome to roll out of the way before the pillar disappeared.

On the other side of the monster, Sephiroth was suffering the same fate as Kagome's bow as the monster pressed him against the rough rocks, effectively trapping his arms and sword to his side. Even with the sword constantly scraping at the Zolom's hide, the monster's attention seemed focused on Kagome. It lunged towards her again.

Kagome screamed, and barely dodged its fangs. The Zolom's head crashed into the cave wall, now preventing any attempt to escape outside. That was the last thing on their minds, however, as the rocks started to rumble. Huge chunks started to fall from the ceiling before a large crack ran along the wall to the floor of the cave; starting where the Midgar Zolom's head smashed against the wall and ending just past the campfire, where the other fire Materia was still burning brightly thanks to Sephiroth.

The Zolom wasn't concerned with the obvious instability of the cave. It roared again after shaking its head. It rose up as far as it could in the low-slung cave, the skin of its hood spread out wide. Knowing the tactics of the monster, fear flooded Sephiroth. Not for himself, but for Kagome. He called on every ounce of strength he had to pull himself up over the Zolom's body. As soon as he was free, he jumped towards Kagome, placing himself between her and snake just as the Zolom attacked. Not with its fangs, but a fire spell known as _Beta. _Kagome sensed more than felt the magic spark to life. The air quickly became dry and hotter than Kagome ever felt; flames starting to build up around the pair, licking the walls of the caves with enough heat to make the rocks crack even further.

Familiar with the Zolom's Beta attack, and knowing that the intense spell had just started, took his Masamune and summoned his strength before plunging it into the cave floor. The cracked stones shattered, sending the two and the Midgar Zolom into the myriad of mining tunnels.

( )

Kagome _hurt._ That was the first thing she was aware of, and after it was the sound of a waterfall, and the cool spray barely reaching her skin. She moaned as she sat up, her body complaining as she did so. The cavern was dimly lit from the crystal veins that was threaded through the rock walls, just enough she could see shadows, and that was it.

"Sephiroth?" she called out, looking around for a glint of silver or the telltale glow of his eyes. She tried to stand up, only to hiss as pain shot up her left leg. She couldn't see anything, but felt something wet and warm stick to her fingers as she carefully felt her calf and ankle. A grimace crossed her face as she summoned a small ball of fire from her Materia. By the light of the fire, she could see a long gash along the outside of her leg, but what worried her the most was way her ankle was bent and the large lump that stuck out. She gingerly palpated it, and held back a scream when she touched it and hot-white pain raced up her leg.

There was no doubt that she had broken her ankle. Kagome caught herself before wondering the jinxing-thought, _'could this day get any worse?' _Life had taught her that whenever someone even though the question, fate decided to prove that yes, it could get a lot worse.

She sighed as she looked around the massive cavern. It was obviously part of a mine shaft, though many of the rails that had been built up on wooden beams had been destroyed from falling rocks. She looked up with a turning stomach. Even with the light of the Materia, she couldn't see the ceiling of the cavern.

And there was still no sign of Sephiroth.

Kagome twisted to look behind her, and winced as a new pain flared from her hip. Could a cure Materia fix broken bones? Did you have to set them first?

The question quickly fled her mind as she came face-to-fang of the Midgar Zolom.

( )

"We should have done this years ago."

The sky was just beginning to lighten as dawn approached, and from their vantage point on one of the many hills between Kalm and the Chocobo Farm, Genesis and Angeal could watch the Shinra Army troopers below, still asleep in their camp except for the two sentries.

"What are you thinking?" Angeal asked, trying hard to ignore how easily his friend went from being loyal to Shinra to gleefully betraying them and causing as much havoc as he could. He was still having problems with his conscious- yes, Shinra had done some very bad things, but it was hard to just forget the years he worked for the company.

Apparently, only he was having that problem.

Genesis grinned as he stood up and cracked his knuckles. "We're the distractions, right? Let's go give them a wakeup call." Angeal sighed as Genesis cheerfully summoned a Thunder spell to crash right into the middle of the camp before the red-haired SOLDIER started running down the hill as chaos broke loose. Angeal took a moment to send a quick prayer to whoever was listening before grabbing his standard SOLDIER sword and following his friend. Unfortunately for Shinra, he was far more loyal to his friends than he could ever be to a company that turned a blind eye towards the experiments of Science Department and sent Turks after innocent people.

* * *

Okay, first off- the Midgar Zolom in the cave! I know in the game the Zolom is only found in the swamp right outside the mines. My excuse is that my Zolom was drawn by the easy prey (the miners) in the caves, and went to explore the caves, and found Sephiroth and Kagome instead.

Anways- the tidbit. If you've look on my profile, you've probably already read it. A while ago I had this idea of Kagome being born in FFVII world, and being an author of Inuyasha (or in the story- A Trip through time) and somehow being caught up in a love triangle with Seph and Gen. However, I have enough stories on my plate, so I'm offering this story up for adoption. Feel free to change it however, or just use the idea of it! Just give me a note if you decide to use it!

**Complications of the Heart** _(Final Fantasy VII/Inuyasha) (Genesis/Kagome/Sephiroth)_ Being a famous writer has its perks. Kagome Higurashi was not sure if being caught in the middle of a love triangle with two of the most famous SOLDIERs was one of them.

( )

This always happened.

Kagome groaned as she closed the cover of her new best seller, 'A Trip Through Time', and waited for the girl, who was currently gaping at the men standing on either side of Kagome. The writer didn't need to look to know the two were currently in a stare off with one another. Instead, she watched the teen, Lily if she remembered right, silently wondering how long it would be until she noticed she was holding up the line.

Almost a whole minute had passed, and Lily's mind only snapped back to the present when her cell phone ringed. A blush crossed her face as she muttered her apologies, snatched her book up close to her chest before running off.

The next girl had the same problem. And the middle aged woman after that, the teenage boy after her, followed by a mother and three young daughter, and countless others. The owners of the bookstore had to put the foot down around midnight, and finally turned away the never-ending line of fans. Whether they were fans of Kagome, Genesis, or Sephiroth, no one could be exactly sure.

"That took forever!" Kagome complained as she stood up and stretched, feeling all her muscles complain about the lack of movement all day. The two SOLDIERs, who finally stopped their hours-long glaring contest, turned to face the writer. It was obvious by the way she stood akimbo that she was not pleased. "What are you two doing here? Don't you two have something better to do than follow me around when you're off duty?"

Sephiroth and Genesis gave each other a look, and Kagome wondered how, despite them being what she termed 'friendly enemies', they could speak to each other without opening their mouths. Maybe it was a SOLDIER thing.

"Angeal's off training his puppy," Genesis explained, as if that answered everything.

Surprisingly, it did. Angeal usually took pity on her, and dragged the two away if he found out they were quote-unquote 'stalking her'. It was close to the truth, except stalkers were usually unseen. And beyond creepy. While the two could become aggravating at time, they were far from creepy. Plus, they did chance off the real stalkers that popped up from time to time.

Kagome sighed, picked up her stuff, and placed it in her bag before turning to her boys. "Where could we get some food? I'm starving."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**A/n: **I'm going to be different and put my notes at the bottom of the chapter this time…

**~( Chapter Fifteen)~**

Sephiroth removed the glove from his left hand and gingerly pressed his fingers to his temple. He grimaced when his fingers found something wet and warm. Blood. He was never fond of seeing it; actually, he had quite an aversion to it. Not that anyone beside himself knew that little fact. The great SOLDIER General, Sephiroth, disturbed by the sight, smell, and most certainly the feel, of blood. He may have hated the hero-worshipping, but he did enjoy the awed respect and distance given to him.

A high-pitched scream echoed through the cave, and his own wound was forgotten. "Kagome," he whispered before shouting, "Kagome!" He untangled himself from the rubble and stood, scanning the gloom for the woman. It only took a moment for the light of the fire spell caught his attention, his mako-enhanced vision allowing him to see the young woman scrambling across the rubble, but from what…

Out from the deep shadow slowly slithered the Zolom, though it was obvious even from the great distance that there was something wrong with the monster. Sephiroth didn't pause long enough to try and discern what the monster's problem was. He didn't pause to question how his fingers came to find the Masamune so quickly, he only held tightly to the leather-wrapped hilt as he jumped and ran over the rubble towards the Miko.

When Sephiroth was only a few yards, he could see why the Zolom seemed to be acting strangely- there was no more than about five feet remaining from what had previously been a twenty-foot body. It was a miracle the Zolom was still alive, let alone able to move. Still, it was still moving closer to Kagome, who was still crawling over the rocks hastily instead of leaping to her feet and running. He didn't even think before leaping from the ledge he had been running across, the Masamune posed to strike.

Kagome's scream echoed through the cavern, though this time out of surprise rather than fear as Sephiroth landed on the Zolom's broad head. Even after seeing thousands of Yokai being slain, she still winced as the long katana pierced and slid through the Zolom's skull. The light in its eyes faded as the Zolom slumped to the ground, lifeless. For a few moments, silence reigned in the cavern as Kagome took a few breaths to try and calm her bounding heart. Unfortunately, with the adrenaline leaving her system, it meant that the pain from her broken ankle and other various injuries was returning.

"You're hurt," Sephiroth stated. She bit back a barbed reply-she was never the most courteous when she was in pain- and simply nodded her head.

"I'm pretty sure my ankle's broken." She didn't flinch as he removed the Masamune from the snake's head, nor when he jumped down landing only inches from her. However, when he knelt down and placed a deft touch to her swollen ankle she held in a scream as pain raced up her leg.

"If we used a Cure Materia without knowing the bones are in proper alignment, it would do more harm than good," there was only a small hint of sympathy in his voice.

Kagome grimaced, "I was worried about that." She sat up with a sigh, avoiding his cat-like eyes. She had been determined not to be a hindrance, and so far she thought she had been doing well. "I'm sorry, Sephiroth."

She missed Sephiroth's eyebrows raising in surprise before he caught control of his emotions. "Did you break your ankle on purpose?"

"What? No!" she defended hotly. "Of course not!"

A smile spread across Sephiroth's lips at her ire, "Then there's no reason to apologize." Surprise flitted across Kagome's face before a soft smile settled.

"Thank you."

Sephiroth tried his hardest to squelch the emotions stirred by her smile, but wasn't entirely successful. "We're wasting time," the irritation at himself mixed into his words, confusing Kagome only for a moment before she found herself hefted off the rocky ground into Sephiroth's arms.

"I can walk," she spluttered, her face red as he started to walk, clutching her tightly to his chest as he picked up pace.

"Not without injuring yourself more," he pointed out. "Fort Condor is not far from the Mine's entrance. They're anti-Shinra, and have a doctor that can set your ankle."

( )

"Well, that was fun."

Genesis winced as Angeal's palm connected with the back of his head, but that didn't stop a suave smile spread across the ginger's face. "Gaia help me, Genesis, if you do that again I will kill you! Honor or not!"

"My friend, the fates are cruel! There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left… gah!" Genesis barely ducked Angeal's fist, and began to laugh as he sprinted across the grassy hill, Angeal following closely. Left behind was a mess of destruction and a dozen or so half-conscious Shinra Infantry.

( )

Kagome wasn't sure how long they had been walking in silence, but it had been long enough that she finally conceded to herself that yes, Sephiroth's arms were surprising comfortable. Except for the shoulder guards that were at the right angle that tended to jab her cheek with every other step if she wasn't careful.

The silence surprisingly wasn't stifling in the least since. At first it hadn't been so comfortable; she hadn't carried bridal style in years, Inuyasha had always had her ride piggy-back except in special circumstances when it wasn't possible. But as time went on she relaxed, and gradually so did Sephiroth. She found herself leaning ever closer to his chest, soaking up the warmth that fought away the chill of the cave.

"Sephiroth?" Kagome found herself asking as the silence went on, and both felt and heard him hum in reply. "What did that kiss mean to you?"

Instantly all of his muscles seemed to tense, though his gait only faltered slightly. "What did it mean to you?" he countered after a few moments.

"Oh no," she glared up at him, but he refused to look anywhere but straight ahead. "I asked you first, Sephiroth." There was a long pause before she sighed. "Look, I just… I don't want to be left guessing. I went for years like that. Not knowing how Inuyasha felt… I don't want to go through that again," she whispered.

Kagome started to wonder if she had the said the wrong thing as the silence stretch on, Sephiroth still tense. She was about to say to forget it when he finally answered. "I don't know." His answer was soft, at ends with how he normally spoke. She met his eyes, which were no longer staring ahead but looking down at her. "I'm a SOLDIER, Kagome. Besides a few years spent with Gast's family, that's all I've known. Emotions have no place in my career."

With every word, the expression on Kagome's fell even further. Of course. Obviously, her luck with men was always going to be atrocious. "The emotions I've known were hate, determination, and companionship," Sephiroth continued, quieter than before. "But you're different. What I feel for you is stronger than the bonds I have with my friends, or my family. It infuriates me that you're always on my mind, but at the same time I don't want you anywhere but at my side."

"Seph," she replied, a smile tugging on her lips. Really, that was rather sweet. While it wasn't exactly the answer she had been hoping for, it put her worries at rest and assured her that she wasn't imagining the chemistry between them.

Deciding to seize the moment, she reached up to caress his cheek lightly before pressing a soft kiss to his lips, which he didn't hesitate in returning.

* * *

Author's note: Okay, not only was that way shorter than my usual 2000+ word count, it was… cheesy. Hopefully, you guys like cheesy. I know I do in some situations. If not, tell me and I'll revamp it. When I started this arc, I didn't really have a plan for between Midgar and Junon, and then from Costa De Sol to Cosmo Canyon. So I'm kind of faltering at the moment for ideas (this, my beloved fellow writers, it why you don't wing it. Learn from my mistake.) And that's why these chapters are coming out about once a month. So, if it's okay with you lovely people, shall we do a break and jump ahead to Fort Condor? Phoenix, Shinra attack, Genesis flirting with Kagome and Seph becoming jealous? Yes/no?

Also, I wanted to give you all a huge round of thanks and gratitude. Look at that review number. Three hundred and one at the moment. THREE. HUNDRED. AND. ONE. Shout out to Mujona who made sure she got the 300th review. It still cracks me up. You too, Rukarai207, for the 'one'. I know that I don't always respond to your reviews, but I don't mean to be snobbish. I love you guys and the support you show me. And for sticking around for this long. This story is almost three years old, and yet you still read it in droves. Pat yourselves on the back for your patience, and if you have the chance, eat a cookie and pretend it's from me. XD

I should also add, the majority of this was inspired by the rare Sephiroth/Kagome picture on DA. The piece is called _'A Soldier's Purity' _ by Keilvory Moon. It's in the Final Fantasy and Inuyasha Collections in my DA favorites (My profile name is Mind-of-Ice). I've also been using the journal there to let people know I'm not dead, and what I'm working on.

As for what Genesis did… I'm not sure. That idea just popped in my head, and I just stuck it in there. Poor Angeal, he's gonna have a heart attack by the time this is all over. Or maybe just an mental breakdown. I seem to torture him in all my stories, which is weird considering he's my favorite. Sephiroth and Genesis are beautiful men, there's no doubt about that. Angeal is handsome.

Enough ranting. Thank you again, all who read this!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Author's note: **Look, I may actually have an update schedule! … Of once a month. Yeah… that's not gonna work. However, I *gasp* have a vague plot outlined! But, the way it's looking at the moment, this story will wrap up around chapter thirty-thirty five, which means we're about halfway through. Of course there is a sequel in the works… but for it I plan to have at least most of it planned and written before starting to post so you guys can at least have twice-a-month updates.

Anyways: about this chapter… it's just to set up for the next chapter. However, compared to the last couple chapters I'm quite pleased with it! It's a little jumpy, but packed with good stuff… in my opinion at least.

Thanks again for all those who've reviewed! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

**~(Chapter Sixteen)~**

"How did you beat us?" Kagome jumped slightly as the shout woke her up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before spying Genesis and Angeal coming out the gloom of the Mythril mines and into the small clearing that surrounded the cave opening. She had to bite back a smile at the obvious pout on Genesis' face as they came closer. "There is no way travelling over the mountains could be that quick! What are you even doing here? We agreed to meet outside of Junon!"

"We decided to take the mines instead," Sephiroth explained with a tinge of sarcasm.

Angeal frowned, crossing his arms, "I thought that the mines had been closed due to the Midgar Zoloms nesting in them."

"They were," Kagome added, smiling ruefully. "Sephiroth killed four of them."

Sephiroth frowned as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Five."

"I believe I killed that last one," she defended with a teasing smile.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, though there was a very slight smile tugging the corners of his mouth. "It would have died whether you had used Bolt or not."

Kagome's smile became a grin, "I still killed it."

"What happened to your ankle?" The good humor ebbed as attention was drawn to Kagome's leg propped out in front of her. While most of the injuries of the fall a few days before hand and either scabbed over or was healed completely, her ankle was a dark purple and swollen to about twice its normal size.

"I broke it." The words barely came out of her mouth before Genesis turned back towards Sephiroth, his blue eyes shimmering with anger..

"You allowed her to be hurt?" Genesis voice was eerily devoid of emotion as he slowly drew his red blade.

"Do I look like her keeper?" Sephiroth pointed out carelessly with a scoff, but rested his hand on the Masamune's hilt. Underneath, annoyance was raging along with a moderate amount of guilt. He hadn't allowed her to be hurt.

"Not now!"

"Stop it!"

Both SOLDIERs paused, the tension between them dissipating as they became aware that their audience was anything but pleased. Angeal was crossed between annoyed and exasperated- a very common thing. And Kagome…

Kagome was upset. "I can take care of myself!" she scolded Genesis, much to his surprise. "I am not a damsel in distress! The only one to blame for my ankle is bad luck and the Zolom!"

Sephiroth shot the redhead a smug look, which he countered with a dark glare. That glare faded into a smirk as Genesis returned his attention to the raven-haired woman. "There is no hate, only joy;

For you are beloved by the goddess; Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds. I meant no disrespect, Kagome. I only meant that as an experienced SOLDIER, Sephiroth should have taken better care to make sure you stayed relatively unharmed."

Genesis was used to women fawning at his words. Kagome simply frowned and crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself," she repeated again with complete seriousness. Sephiroth chuckled very slightly, but it earned another glare from Genesis.

"We should head for Fort Condor," Angeal spoke up, hoping to keep the two distracted so they did not fall into a fight. "There's a doctor there, and we should have no problem with Shinra finding us."

"Because they hate Shinra," Genesis pointed out. "They're more likely to try to kill us rather than help us."

"News of our desertion should have reached them by now," Sephiroth argued calmly. "It's worth a try."

( )

As soon as the four left the woods, Kagome could see Fort Condor on the horizon. It was easy to see, thanks to the giant golden bird that appeared to rival the bird yokai Tekkei perched upon what had initially looked like a mountain. However, the closer they got she could see parts of a metal building sticking out from underneath the dirt and rocks.

"That's a condor?" she asked incredulously as they approached the mountain and saw how large the bird really was, as well as the egg it was guarding.

"One type of them," Angeal explained. When it had become obvious that Sephiroth and Genesis were going to literally fight over who had the honor of carrying the wounded Miko, Angeal had offered to carry her instead. While she had enjoyed being held in Sephiroth's arms, she had accepted Angeal's offer mostly to prove to the two she was going to be a prize for their fights.

On one hand, the cold jealousy that Sephiroth held made her heart warm a little. While he hadn't been able to tell her exactly how he felt, the protectiveness and the few sweet kisses they had shared assured here there was something more than plain attraction between them. On the other hand, she had quite enough of being fought over. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy some of Genesis' attention, there was very few times in her life that a handsome man as suave as him focused their attention on her. It was flattering, and she would admit he was about as handsome as Sephiroth was in his own way. However, the mild attraction she held towards him wasn't nearly as deep or as strong as what she felt for Sephiroth.

"Legend has it that the Giant Condors are descended from the Phoenix deity," Genesis chimed in, falling in step besides Angeal. "That is part of the reason why the people of Fort Condor defend it so fiercely, like the Wutai and their worship of Leviathan. Besides, of course, this is the only place there are known to nest their young."

Kagome frowned, "Who are they defending it from?"

"Shinra," Sephiroth answered. "That mountain is home to a Mako Reactor. Shinra is concerned about the bird nesting on the reactor, and want to disperse it. Since the Condor came two years to lay its egg, the people of the surrounding area have fought Shinra troops relentlessly."

( )

The four barely reached the base of the Fort before they were met with a squad of gun-carrying villagers. "What do you want?" The leader questioned, gun aimed directly at Sephiroth's chest. "We know you defected from Shinra, but I seriously doubt it was to defend the Condor!"

"We need a doctor," Sephiroth answered shortly. "She has a broken ankle that needs to be set."

The guns were lowered slightly as the leader came forward slowly, his eyes trained on Kagome's swollen ankle. "… Okay. Jake, take the lady up into the Fort. You three will stay here."

"Absolutely not."

"No."

"She's not leaving my sight."

All three men answered simultaneously, surprising Kagome. "There is no way we're letting three of Shinra's SOLDIERs into the Fort," the leader defended as guns were raised again. "Either you do what we say, or you leave. And good luck getting help in Junon."

Kagome hesitated a moment due to the tense situation. It was obvious the gunmen were itching to pull their triggers, and all three of the SOLDIERs were moments away from drawing their swords. "Guys, it'll be okay," she tried to calm them, even though she had no idea if that was true or not. She didn't know these people, or anything about the situation between the SOLDIERs and villagers, but her ankle needed to be healed so they could continue their way to Nibelheim to rescue Ifalna.

It was a good thing that Angeal had been the one carrying her, because while Sephiroth and Genesis gave her looks that said quite plainly: 'you are not going with them,' Angeal paused for a moment before nodding his head. The other two bristled as Angeal allowed the man that stepped forward, Jake, to take her into his arms. It was the only fact that they were facing potential advisories that they kept their mouths shut.

"Once we have a chat," the leader said after Jake left with Kagome, "We'll let you up there. But first I have to be sure you three aren't Shinra's next attempt at killing the Condor."

( )

Sephiroth didn't allow the awed horror expression of the residents of Fort Condor to bother him as he searched the Fort for Kagome. After discussing the situation with Karl- the leader that had confronted them before, the three had been allowed into the main complex. Genesis had disappeared when he had heard that the Fort had a resident that was researching Loveless, and ever sensible Angeal had went to stock up on supplies, leaving him to find Kagome. He had already stopped by the doctor's office, only to find that she had been discharged and had been allowed to wander the Fort without a guide.

He didn't like her being out of her sight, especially when surrounded by potential enemies. The villagers still obviously held a grudge against them even when they had heard their story. Well, not the full truth. He had only divulged to them that Shinra had tried to kidnap his 'mother' and was going to use her in a science experiment. The secret of the Cetra and Kagome's strange origins were kept silent. Even with that, they were surprisingly sympathetic to the SOLDIERs.

After a few moments, Sephiroth made his way up the rope ladder to the lookout at the top of the reactor. It was the only place he hadn't searched yet. He didn't understand why they would be willing to show a stranger the base of their operations, but then again they didn't even try to stop him.

For a moment, relief washed through him as he caught sight of the raven-haired woman standing at the window, an expression of awe on her face as she gazed out. He quickly managed the emotion a moment before Kagome turned to face him with a wide smile that sent new waves of unidentifiable emotions that were much harder to control. They were the same ones that flared whenever she cheekily stole a kiss, and seemed to get stronger instead of weaker with every moment spent in her presence. "Come here," she said, waving her hand towards him before turning back to the window.

He kept the argument that they should find Genesis and Angeal and leave to himself as he walked up next to her. The window was an excellent view of the old battlefield that was desolate for now, but he was sure that it was the Condor that had caught her attention. He had never been this close to the golden bird, but didn't see whatever appeal it that drew Kagome's attention. But then, he had learned that when it came to women and animals, even monsters at times, he wasn't going to see the 'cute little bitty bunny' only the monster that had been moments away from impaling Aerith with its horns.

"I've never seen something that large that wasn't a yokai," she confessed quietly. Kagome thought the condor was beautiful, nothing at all like her world's condors. Its plumage was seemed like it was actually made of gold, and every now and then it would let out a melodic warble directed at its large egg. Her eyes drew away from the Condor to the man beside her, her smile changing as she let her fingers drifted over to his. Her grin was full-blown impish as she watched him jump slightly when she twined her fingers with his. "I take it you didn't have any trouble reaching a deal?"

He paused, studying her face before shaking his head slightly. "No. However, the quicker we leave the better. Right now Angeal is gathering supplies. The only problem will be dragging Genesis away from Loveless." Not that was anything new.

"Why is he so obsessed with it?" she asked, surprised that he wasn't pulling away but also not ushering her out of the quiet watchtower. Not that she was about to say anything. The days in the mines had told her how to balance between actively dragging Sephiroth out his metaphorical shell and allowing him his space. Now that she was sure he felt the same spark she did, she wasn't going to be passive about it as she had been with Inuyasha. Not to say she would be overly aggressive, but assertive. In the back of her mind, her common sense reminded her often that she couldn't stay here, that falling in love with Sephiroth would only make things worse.

Sephiroth sighed, "Honestly, I don't know. He has tried to explain it many times, but all I see is a simple story."

A frown crossed her features, "What else would it be?"

He paused a moment, debating how to answer her. He immediately scolded himself, what was wrong with the truth? It would (hopefully) squash any lingering attraction she held towards Genesis. The fact that was the first reason that he thought of surprised him more. "He believes it is a prophecy," he stated quietly. "He's using the poems and interpretations to find the 'Gift of the Goddess.'"

Kagome blinked before a strange smile spread across her lips. "Seriously?" He nodded his head, and felt Kagome squeeze his hand slightly before she leaned closer. "So, what's the gift supposed to be?"

Before he could answer, warning bells and sirens pierced the air. Sephiroth's hand untangled itself from hers as he focused out the window. On the horizon he could easily see an large army squad- a mixture of infantrymen and controlled monsters that Shinra used to attack Fort Condor.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry about the delay, work can kick you in the arse when you're not use to working full time. That and my laptop broke yet again (yay for dads that tend to hoard spare parts!) but it's fixed now (obviously) and I have a night off (obviously, again).

Well, now that I'm done with my orientation period, it won't be long before I get into a routine, and then my nights off will be devoted to writing… and doodling, occasionally. I want to make some art that partners with this story, but it… won't come out on paper.

Anyways, one more ramble before the story: This story is caught up on LJ! So if you use LJ, look for 4ever_rewritten and friend me, and you can get your update there too! WITH NO RAMBLING!

* * *

**~(Chapter Seventeen)~**

Fort Condor was in chaos as the bells continued to chime and orders were shouted out. Even in the crowds of fighters preparing for battle and civilians trying to find shelter, Sephiroth easily strode through the congested hallways without little problem. As long as Kagome stuck close behind him, she had no problem fighting her way through the pack.

"Sephiroth!" Angeal's voice easily carried across the confusion. Kagome couldn't see the SOLDIER herself, but Sephiroth quickly changed directions and hastened his pace. It wasn't long before they reached a small room off the main hallway to take refuge in. Genesis was leaning against a small table, book in hand though his attention was on Sephiroth, as was Angeal's after he closed the door when the General and Miko entered the room.

"ETA?" Sephiroth asked as soon as the door was shut.

"Twenty minutes," Genesis answered simply. "If we leave now, we can use the confusion to escape unnoticed by either side."

"We can't do that," Angeal argued. "We owe them for taking us in and healing Kagome. We should help them."

"They probably don't even want our help. To them, it'll be too big of a coincidence that the Army arrived not even two hours after we did. We should leave before the idea even forms in their mind."

Kagome watched as the three discussed the pros and cons of the two choices, feeling out of place once more as military tactics and jargon that was far over her head were thrown about. Still, she offered a smile when she caught Sephiroth's eye glance at her for a few moments before his full attention was captured by something one of the other two said.

It didn't feel like long before the door was thrown open. Kagome wasn't sure how it happened, but she found herself behind the three SOLDIERs, all with their swords drawn and pointed towards the door. She could barely see anything past Sephiroth and Genesis' outstretched arms, but did recognize Karl's voice when he spoke, "There's no time to argue or discuss, so I'm giving you these two options. Help us or you will be locked in here until after the battle."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. Being pushed into a decision instantly made him want to rebel, however he held his tongue as he looked towards his friends, silently assessing their mindsets. He could tell Angeal was still adamant to his initial stance, however Genesis was another matter. His sky blue eyes rolled slightly as a smug smirk tugged at his lips. It was obvious he thought little about the threat. As if the weak wood door would hold them for very long!

Still, the ginger man shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care either way, and would follow Sephiroth's choice. Sephiroth wanted to look back at Kagome to try to see if he could tell what her opinion was. He had a feeling that she would be of the same opinion of Angeal, she seemed to be willing to help anyone in need. Hopefully he was right and wasn't offending her when he nodded his head. "We'll help.

( )

The wood of the long bow was warm underneath her fingers, which was a small comfort at least. Kagome held the bow close as she sat partially hidden behind an outcropping of rocks. Below her she could see the approaching army, and had a perfect spot that would allow her arrows to aid in the coming battle. She could catch flashes of silver on the future battlefield from the boys' swords and Sephiroth's hair. They were the front line of defense, along with Fort Condor's handful of close-range fighters. Part of her wanted to be down there with them, but she knew this spot was probably the best for her. After all, Sephiroth had picked it out himself.

"_You'll be safe here," Sephiroth said as he helped her into place. "Whatever you do, do not draw attention to yourself. Do not leave this spot unless Angeal or myself says it's all clear."_

_Despite the tense situation, Kagome cracked a small smile. "What about Genesis?"_

_As she thought, Sephiroth huffed slightly but had a smirk on his lips. "If you must, but I do warn you he tends to be reckless when deciding if a situation is safe or not." _

_Sephiroth paused, studying her face and committing her features to memory. The coming battle could be dangerous nor for himself or the other two SOLDIERs, but for Kagome. Deep inside, something was telling him to put her somewhere much far away from the conflict. That he should've taken Genesis' suggestion and retreated when they had the chance. However, not only did he trust Kagome to defend herself-these approaching monsters and infantrymen were nothing compared to the Zoloms they faced- he knew that she could prove to be a valuable asset in quickly winning the battle._

_He also knew she would be angry if he tried to tell her she couldn't fight. The wife of the Fort's weapons smith tried to convince her to hide with the most of the Fort's women and children, but she would hear none of it. All Kagome wanted was a bow, quiver of arrows, and a few ethers and potions. _

_Strangely, it made that strange emotion stronger. He was proud of her, but he also had an almost overwhelming urge to kiss her. He needed to leave before he did something stupid. Now was not the place, nor the time, to indulge in emotions she caused. _

_Kagome had other ideas, however. "Wait!" she called out when he turned to leave. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer before pressing soft, short kiss to his lips. "Be careful," she whispered, offering a smile at his surprised look. _

The crunch of dirt and rocks brought Kagome out of her memories. She jump and spun around, clutching the long bow like a staff, ready for a fight. If Minerva was surprised by the impromptu weapon, she didn't show it. The goddess wasn't dressed in her roman style dress, but a simple pair of jeans and a off white flowing blouse. In her hand was bow, far more extravagant than the simple one the Miko held. "Hello Kagome."

Kagome frowned, lowering her weapon ever so slightly. "Minerva? Wha-what are you doing here?" She looked around to make sure she was still at Fort Condor.

"It is… complicated," the blond answered as she crouched on the other side of the rock outcropping. "The Condor is special, and there is no wrong in my assistance to protect it." Kagome's frowned deepened, it sounded as if Minerva was trying to defend herself with those words, making her wonder why she was truly there. However, before she could ask, Minerva continued. "Why are you fighting? Why are the SOLDIERs defending what they once wished to destroy?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders lightly, "Because it's the right thing to do?"

Strangely, Minerva muffled a quiet chuckle behind her white hand. "The right thing to do? Child, how innocent you are. These men were groomed by Shinra to be heartless SOLDIERs, especially the youngest. You expect me to believe that they are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts?"

The Miko narrowed her eyes, "What are you implying? What other motive would they have?" She couldn't believe that. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal-heartless? Heartless people wouldn't have taken her in and protected her from Shinra. If they were heartless, they wouldn't have dropped everything to go on this quest to save Ifalna. "You're wrong," she stated adamantly, giving the goddess a hard look. "They're _all_ good men."

"The vilest of monsters hide behind unearthly beauty," Minerva whispered quietly, almost to herself before turning her attention fully to Kagome again. "You would be wise to tread carefully. Do you want to lose your old life for someone who cannot even understand what love is?"

Kagome's face flushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "One, I don't think you have any right judging him! You don't know him! Second, I promised to help rescue Ifalna first. Besides, I don't even know how to get home!"

Minerva's passive expression saddened slightly as she sighed. "Whether it may or may not be too late for her, Hojo is your answer. But you must not dally; your spirit is changing rapidly due to your use of Materia."

"We _are _hurrying," Kagome defended. Any other words were forgotten as Bahamut Fury's roar echoed across the sky. Kagome's eyes snapped towards the sky, where the golden dragon shone in the afternoon sunlight. Below, she could see the enemy had finally arrived, and could barely see silver hair, a red coat, and a silver-gold sword on the front line rushing towards the battle. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly tightened the grip on her bow and drew an arrow.

But they were still too far away. She growled as she lowered her bow. She was regretting letting Sephiroth talk her into being placed so far away from the actual battlefield, and promising the General she would stay.

( )

Part of Sephiroth was disappointed how easily the monsters fell when they met the Masamune, while another was thankful for the fact. It meant that it would be quick and easy to end this skirmish. Plus, between the three SOLDIERs, they should be able to keep them far away from the Fort.

Beyond the roars and screams of the Shinra-created monsters, he could hear Genesis quoting Loveless easily- as if he was taking a simple stroll and not fighting dozens of monsters. Of course, he had Bahamut Fury easily swooping down, grabbing one monster at a time with its large talons, and doing Gaia-knew-what with it. He occasionally caught glimpses of Angeal in the midst of the battle, a serious expression on his face despite the ease of their opponents.

Bahamut Fury roared again, but it wasn't a triumphant cry, but a pain-filled screech. Everyone looked up at the golden Summon, only to see it evaporate in mid air.

"WHAT?" Genesis yelled over the battlefield, clutching the hilt of his sword where the Materia for the summon rested. His face was twisted with rage as he looked frantically across the battlefield, concerning Sephiroth. He had never seen the SOLDIER look so… worried, almost afraid.

"What happened?" Sephiroth called out as he swept the Masamune to clear a few monsters that had hoped to take advantage of his distraction.

"Be careful!" Genesis yelled. "There's a beast in here that's strong enough to kill Fury with one shot!"

"That's impossible!" Angeal answered, "Are you sure Genesis?"

The sarcasm in Genesis' reply was almost tangible, "No, Angeal, I just dismissed him for no reason-Of course I'm sure!"

"Enough playing," Sephiroth cut off the beginning of another argument between the two old friends. "Let's get this over as quickly as possible."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

SEE! I haven't abandoned this story! I swear it will be finished! It might take me forever, but it'll be done! You guys, my most lovely followers, are awesome. I had never thought this story would be so popular, but here we are with over **three hundred and thirty **_**reviews.**_ You guys are awesome!

So here is the end of the cliff hanger!

**~(Chapter Eighteen)~**

Power… It needed power. A slick purple tongue flicked outside of the teeth-ridden mouth as it clambered over the rocks, searching for the sweet smell and taste of power. It paid no attention to the battle continuing farther down the mountain. It thought it had found power in the beast in the sky, only for it to turn out to be a Summon. Still, it had sucked the Summon's energy dry, but that only left it craving more.

On the wind it caught whiff of four strong powers, making it pause. One was coming from deep inside the mountain, so strong it seemed limitless. A weaker power was at the top, but right near it was two others- one that was almost identical to the kind deep within the mountain, while the other was foreign. Both of them were at least equal in power to the Summon, if not greater.

The monster didn't hesitate for a second before scurrying up the rocks, its hunger fueling it in desperation. It would feed, and grow, and feed, and grow, until it could reach that limitless power.

( )

"If you're a goddess, why don't you do something?!" Kagome asked out of desperation. Her knuckles were white from clutching her bow and arrow tightly. She had seen a dark light shoot from the ground straight into Bahamut's chest shortly before the Summon disappeared. She remembered wielding the Summon and the power that it held, one shot and it had disappeared. Add that with the fact her 'Miko-sense' was screaming the dark light was as tainted almost as much as Naraku caused her to be extremely worried for Sephiroth and the others.

"I made a promise centuries ago to not interfere with the living," Minerva confessed, her delicate features twisted in a faint expression of worry. She too sensed the wrongness that had destroyed the Summon, but had an idea from what the power came from. "I'm… not so much a goddess as a guardian of the Lifestream. I deal with the dead, not the living."

Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to face Minerva, surprise slowly turning to anger. "You told me you were a goddess!"

Minerva's cold eyes refused to look toward the Miko, but searched the barren landscape."That's what I am called, but not what I am."

"Then why are you here!" Kagome all but screamed. "You accuse Sephiroth and them of being heartless, but here you are, doing nothing when you have the power to! I think you're the heartless one!"

Minerva's blue eyes hardened as she glared back at the Miko. "Watch your tongue, child. You know nothing of this world, and nothing of me. I gave my life to protect the Planet and her children. I gave up the Promised Land so I could continue to protect everyone. Do NOT call me heartless."

If Kagome was scared, she didn't show it. Instead, she met her gaze evenly and said, "Then do something. Anything!"

Minerva's sharp words were stuck on her tongue as a dark _something_ jumped out of the shadows towards her. Instincts took over as she tried to swat the thing away, only to have it stick to her arm. The unfamiliar sensation of actual pain shocked her as she cried out. She was used to pain shared by the planet-deep visceral pain that gnawed at her heart every moment. Not this sharp, acute pain as the beast plunged its teeth into her arm. Her knees buckled as she tried to pry the beast off, except every bit of power that she tried to use to destroy the thing was being absorbed.

Kagome didn't even pause before scrambling up the rocks to where the blonde woman knelt, screaming in pain as the thing- a mutated cross between a lizard and a wolf about the size of a house cat, hung on to her arm. She did, however, pause when she could almost feel the taint rolling from the creature- reminding her strongly of the auras given off by Naraku's so-called offspring. The hesitation only lasted a second before she rushed to Minerva's side, channeling her Miko powers into hands. If she could face Naraku and win, she could face whatever this thing was!

The ever-present pain in her chest tightened instead of easing, but she pushed that away as she placed her slightly glowing hands on the monster. She expected the monster's shrill scream, but not the feeling of her energy being drained. She screamed loudly at the sensation of her soul being sucked out (yet again) and stumbled away. She clutched her hands close to her, the sharp stinging sensation slowly fading, and watched with dread as Minerva obviously grew weaker and the monster grow not only stronger, but larger with every quickly passing second.

She wasn't about to give up, despite the lingering pain. As soon as she had somewhat recovered, she grabbed one of her arrows and held it like a dagger. "Hold still!" she commanded Minerva.

Minerva opened her blue eyes, still trying to tear the creature off her arm despite it being obvious she was growing weaker and weaker. She saw the arrow and the fierce determination in the Miko's eyes. "Hurry," she begged. Kagome gave a determined nod before stabbing the monster in the back, right between its protruding shoulder blades. The monster howled, thankfully letting go of the not-goddess. Minerva slumped with relief as the monster turned towards Kagome, its teeth stained not with blood, but a viscous teal fluid. Kagome didn't wait for it to attack her, but stabbed at it again. This time she miraculously managed to hit it right between its dark eyes. With a sickening crack, it slumped to the ground motionless with the arrow buried deep with its skull.

Kagome didn't pay it any attention but rushed to Minerva's side. She was far paler than she had been just a few moments ago before the attack, and for a moment Kagome thought she had actually died before seeing the slight rise and fall of her chest. "Hurry to Nibelheim, but be careful," Minerva whispered as her body began to fade away. "Some secrets there are better left untouched. Whatever happens, do not let them read the books, or allow him into the reactor."

"Nevermind that," Kagome shook her head, placing her hands on the blonde's fading arm. "Wha-what's happening?"

Minerva closed her eyes, "That monster drained enough of my energy I must return to the Lifestream, just as it did with Bahamut. But if you are serious in your venture, you must be careful. They are the sons of the Calamity."

( )

There were very few times the three First Class SOLDIERs ever took a fight seriously. They always fought to win, of course, but usually it was with the half- hearted attempt most used when they killed a bug.

Today was one of those times.

The other fighters that had been striving to protect the Condor had been amazed how quickly the battled turned from mildly-challenging to easily finished as the three SOLDIERs rushed through the diminishing swarm of monsters, their swords moving too fast for their eyes to see.

After the last Grand Horn was defeated, Sephiroth quickly deserted the battlefield, sprinting as fast as he could towards where he had left Kagome. He had not seen any unusual beast that could have wielded the strength Genesis claimed. While it was possible that one of the others could have destroyed it, his mind instantly went to the possibility it had snuck its way to Fort Condor—or worse, to Kagome's hiding place.

Behind him, Genesis and Angeal shared a look before rushing after their brother in arms. Whether for better or for worse, they were in this together. Both of them realized around the same time where the silver haired man was running too, and quickened their pace in attempt to match his. In the heat of battle, both had allowed Kagome and her safety to be pushed to the back of their minds. Now she was brought to the forefront, the same idea of the mysterious monster going after her troubling them.

While she was new, somehow the strange young woman had quickly found a place in their tight-knit circle of friends.

Predictably, Sephiroth reached the Miko first, and was surprised to find her kneeling down to a woman that seemed to be disappearing slowly. Only working for Shinra as long as he had prevented him from being very surprised. Still, something about the blonde woman disturbed him, and it wasn't the fact he could partially see through her to the ground beneath. "Kagome," his quiet word instantly caught the attention of both women. While Kagome expression showed relief as the tension in her shoulders left and a slight smile danced on her lips, the other woman frowned distrustfully at the SOLDIER.

He returned the distrustful look, but she ignored him as she turned back to Kagome."Be careful, this is not your world. As much as they seem to be alike, our world is much different from yours."

Kagome frowned, but nodded her head, standing as the woman finally disappeared. She met Sephiroth's gaze, and easily distinguished the silent question in them. "I don't… really know," she admitted. "Her name's Minerva, but… I don't know really know _what_ she is."

"Did she threaten you?"

"No," she answered while shaking her head. "She was just… giving me a warning."

"About?"

Before Kagome could answer him, the other two SOLDIERs arrived. "Are you okay?" Angeal asked, noting the stiff way Sephiroth was holding himself. It caused him to at first assume Kagome was injured in some way, the General had a stance that he only assumed in situations where he was worried. However, other than looking a little tossled, Kagome didn't appear harmed.

Kagome nodded her head, offering a smile to both Angeal and Genesis. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Let's move on," Sephiroth said suddenly. Without pause he turned and started to head away from Fort Condor.

( )

_Mother?_

Ifalna closed her eyes, focusing on the presence in the back of her mind. It wasn't so much words as feelings and half formed thoughts. _You are safe?_

_Yes. He's coming. They're coming to save you._

The Cetra frowned, _Not here, he can't come here._

_Why?_

Ifalna didn't answer, but drew her mind away from the collective of the Lifestream. She couldn't tell her young daughter of the horrors she had tried so hard to shield not only her from, but Sephiroth as well. Her eyes opened to the dim lit room. No light shone except from the lone dimmed light bulb that hang from the ceiling, but was far more than Ifalna wished for. By the light, she could see the bones of deceased experiments scattered against the wall, along with a few coffins that were nailed shut, and in the case of the one in the middle, nailed and wrapped in heavy chains with multiple padlocks.

If Sephiroth came here, and discovered all the things she and Gast had tried to hide from him….

_Oh Planet, please, do not let him find out. _


End file.
